I have apache running on a recently installed Debian system that I have built myself having downloaded an apache.tar.gz archive rather than from a Debian source or binary package. My build configuration for apache is quite site specific.

I now want to install some packages (smokeping is a good example) that typically require apache as a pre-requisite.

How do I use aptitude (or other) to install smokeping and preventing a new packaged copy of apache to be installed?


Thanks for any help.


Simon

Update the database with the updatedb command. Open aptitude, select the package you want to hold and press the = key. This tells aptitude to hold that version of the package. Read the aptitude man-pages for more info.

I'm not sure I see the relevance of running updatedb - isn't this to update the databases used by the locate command?

I tried using hold (=) ... I first of all indicated that I wished to install smokeping using 'i', proceeded with 'g' then looked at the list of packages selected as being required. As one of them was 'apache' I placed a hold on this with '=' and tried to proceed with the install using 'g'.

aptitude refused to continue to install smokeping as a dependency was missing.

Yes I know that the updatedb command updates the database for the locate command, but I'm not sure if aptitude uses the same database. If you're confident it's not related, skip it

The way you described it, it makes sense that aptitude stalls. Aptitude doesn't know about packages build from source, unless you'd build it as a .dep package, installing it with dpkg. So, as far as aptitude is concerned, Apache is not available on your system. A possible work-around is moving your Apache setup out of the way, install the programs with their dependencies including Apache and replace the installed Apache config with your own.