Subject: How to replace/remove a program that's linked to others without wrecking your system.

Example; e2fsprogs

Using Ubuntu 8.042, if I want to update e2fsprogs, normally I would:
# sudo apt-get remove e2fsprogs, then build from source the most recent version. Here is what would happen if I removed e2fsprogs;

# sudo apt-get remove e2fsprogs
# The following packages will be REMOVED:
apparmor apparmor-utils e2fsprogs initscripts system-services ubuntu-minimal upstart-compat-sysv

OUCH. This is 'not' what I want and would create serious mayhem.

What shoud a person do when removing a program (e2fsprogs) would
break your system by removing critical linked programs? How should
one know exactly which of the linked dependencies should be updated and which should not?

Thank you.
Akon

WHAT?!?

Build a .deb yourself and upgrade the existing package. Look into apt-get source -b if the sources are available in a more recent Ubuntu version (may req. playing with sources.list), or learn how to build a .deb from the source's source (dpkg-buildpackage).

OK,

So if I want to download the source directly from the author, doesn't that change
your recommendation?

Thanks.
Akon

or learn how to build a .deb from the source's source (dpkg-buildpackage).

AlucardZero,

Regarding package <e2fsprogs>

In Ubuntu 8.042 64bit, if I type: sudo apt-cache showsrc e2fsprogs
I get version: Version: 1.40.8-2ubuntu2

The author has a newer package: http://e2fsprogs.sourceforge.net/
Latest version: 1.41.4

If I build the package from source via checkinstall or dpkg-buildpackage,
I still will break my system if I remove the <e2fsprogs>.

For example: sudo apt-get remove e2fsprogs
Will remove all these: apparmor-utils [2.1+1075-0ubuntu9.1] apparmor [2.1+1075-0ubuntu9.1] ubuntu-minimal [1.102]
system-services [0.3.9-2] upstart-compat-sysv [0.3.9-2] initscripts [2.86.ds1-14.1ubuntu45.1] e2fsprogs [1.40.8-2ubuntu2].

So the problem remains, how is one to know exactly 'which' linked dependencies will also need to be updated?
In my case, I want to update <e2fsprogs>, but it's tied together in my distro (not fun) with all the above
programs.

Is there a logical approach to this problem?

Thank you
Akon

apt-cache show e2fsprogs

Yes, the version in the repositories is not the most current one and apt-cache show will give you;

Package: e2fsprogs
Essential: yes
Priority: required
Section: base
Installed-Size: 1804
Maintainer: Ubuntu Core Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Original-Maintainer: Theodore Y. Ts'o <tytso@mit.edu>
Architecture: amd64
Version: 1.40.8-2ubuntu2

See message above,
The author has a newer package: http://e2fsprogs.sourceforge.net/
Latest version: 1.41.4


So the repos have: 1.40.8-2ubuntu2
and the current is: 1.41.4

Does anyone else know?

Thank you.

Does Ubuntu's apt-cache show not list dependencies? Debian's does.

AlucardZero,

I am guessing you are trying to be helpful, thank you... but you are not.
Your comments are not focusing on my initial message that started this thread.

If no one else has an answer, I will close my comments for now.
Thank you.

FWIW Debian's lenny and sid have packages (including amd64) for 1.41.3-1. Will that do you? I think you can install debian debs on ubuntu, yes?
cheers,
jdk

You asked how to tell what a package is dependent on, and I answered.

jdkaye, mixing Debian and Ubuntu packages is probably possible but is dangerous.

I always love it when a member gets spoon feed an answer and then acts like it's not the answer. It's like giving someone a million dollars and being told it's not real money.

Guess he just did not want to do any homework.

AlcardZero, jdkaye...
Thank you for your help.

The problem is apparantly unavoidable.
If an Ubuntu 8.1 desktop user wishes to obtain the newest version
of a program available from the author ( i.e. e2fsprogs) and 'not' in the Ubuntu
repositories, in this case they can't simply remove and replace (built .deb or from source)
as the removal will also remove other programs. The linking is different for
each linux distro.

It would seem the only solution is to use a Gentoo, Linux From Scratch or Debian
So the 'linking' of programs can be customized, which isn't practicable in this
example.

As to using a debian .deb for a Ubuntu distro... thanks for the hint but
my experience has been instability when I've tried that in the past.

Regards.

62chevy,

I am learning from this forum and am glad others
try to get and give help. I plan on doing the same if I can.

Not every question is clear, and not every answer is clearer.
If you presume others should be as clear as you and posess equal skills
you are by nature, unclear.

I also have wrecked my system many times even though I had practiced
due diligence from 'homework'.

I noticed you didn't contribute any advise.

I would like to offer that the problem of breaking dependencies is not
easily solvable at this time. You are at the mercy of whichever distribution
you choose to use. If you are using Ubuntu and you will anticipate similar
situations like the sticky one you are in now...

I'd recommend you switching distros to debian Lenny, due out in about a week.
You can make it into Ubuntu if you spend some time, and can customize your
mulit-program dependencies more.

You can try Lenny while still in Ubuntu via a virtual machine, Sun's
virtualbox would suit this fine.

Hope that contributes something to the solution.

Ciao.
Seemoi

Seemoi you are so right. I always admire those that have the time to spend here. It still stands that Ubuntu uses .deb files and learning to creat a .deb package would get the job done. I think it's also great that no one see "RTFM" any more. That was common when I first joind.

Best to you Seemoi.