How to remove the relation of a file from a .deb package

maus · 02-02-2010, 08:56 AM

Hi,

I'm using my own Debian .deb-packages for managing software updates on a small numbers of computers. So this question is about creating my own .deb Packages.

I got the Package A with the version 1.0 and 2.0. From version 2.0 on it's not necessary to keep track of the file fileB.txt. But I want to keep fileB.txt on the target system anyway.

Code:

Package A Ver. 1.0:
 - fileA.txt
 - fileB.txt

Package A Ver. 2.0: 
 - fileA.txt

If I install the new .deb package A. DPKG will remove fileB.txt.

How can I prevent dpkg to remove fileB.txt? In fact, dpkg should simply forget that fileB.txt was ever part of Package A!

Of course I could manipulate the dpkg file list, somewhere in the dpkg cache (file system). But how can I achieve the same effect within a package -> without manual manipulation on the target system?

Is there any key word in the control file? Or is there a special file, which lists "dependencies to delete"?

thanks for any suggestions.

maus

Dutch Master · 02-02-2010, 09:10 AM

Try the "recommend" option in the control file. That means that dpkg doesn't actually install it, but won't remove it when it's there...