Dependency error in apt-get. How to solve?

kushalkoolwal · 11-27-2005, 09:26 PM

I am using the Debian Sarge version(stable repository, kernel 2.6.8-2-386). Recently I decided to install qt3 librarries so happily I did

Code:

apt-get install libqt3-mt-dev

but to my disappointment I got the following error message:

Code:

barb-xp:~# apt-get install libqt3-mt-dev
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
that package should be filed.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  libqt3-mt-dev: Depends: xlibs-static-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libxext-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libxrandr-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libsm-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libxmu-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libice-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libx11-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libxt-dev (>= 4.3.0.dfsg.1-4) but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: xlibmesa-gl-dev but it is not going to be installed or                          libgl-dev
                 Depends: xlibmesa-glu-dev but it is not going to be installed or
                          libglu1-mesa-dev but it is not going to be installed or
                          libglu-dev
                 Depends: libxft-dev but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libxrender-dev but it is not going to be installed
                 Depends: libxcursor-dev but it is not going to be installed
E: Broken packages

Can anybody tell me how can we solve these kind of problems? This is not the first time I am getting such kinds of error. Some time back I tried installing some other application and it did the same thing. I won;t allow me to do so.

What is the best and easiest way to solve such problems? I am addicted to apt-get and I need to know how to solve this problem.

thanks

Tons of Fun · 11-27-2005, 10:22 PM

That error you got is telling you that the list of dependencies are broken, so it wont install them. My suggestion is to wait until the dependencies are fixed. I am running into the same problem with Samba. A few of the dependencies are broken, so apt won't install it. I could go download the source code and compile it, but the dependancy issue might still be there, and apt won't know it is installed, so it won't update it. I know it's frustrating sometimes, but I feel it is better for me to wait.

Good Luck.

kushalkoolwal · 11-28-2005, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tons of Fun
That error you got is telling you that the list of dependencies are broken, so it wont install them. My suggestion is to wait until the dependencies are fixed. I am running into the same problem with Samba. A few of the dependencies are broken, so apt won't install it. I could go download the source code and compile it, but the dependancy issue might still be there, and apt won't know it is installed, so it won't update it. I know it's frustrating sometimes, but I feel it is better for me to wait.

Good Luck.

hmm. that really frustating. I am so addicted to use make xconfig and therfore I wanted to install the QT library. now I guess I will have to use not so good make menuconfig.

I thought if I use aptitude or dselect I would be able to solve the problem.. Is there any other alternative other than compiling from source.

thanks you very much.