i have a long list of packages to fix and install. apt get will try to remove about 1200 packages from my system if i run it right now. synaptic will do the same.
currently i use dpkg to install the correct versions of packages but i have another 40 packages to go... its just plain not cool. meaning i have to manually download the packages from debian repository and then manually install it using dpkg. i would be so much nicer i could just make apt-get ignore dependecies and install the right packages (i have about 40 packages from testing repository currently on my system that i need to downgrade back to stable. apt-get and synaptic are counterproductive in this case).

Just thinking in print here. Suppose you edited your sources.list and commented out all lines refering to a testing repository, leaving only the stable repositories available to apt-get. Would you then be able to downgrade to stable packages?

that was the first thing i did. the problem is that apt-get and synaptic first want to remove 1200 packages that depend on 40 broken packages, and only then update. of course, it will not get 1200 packages back.
i consider it a design flaw.
anyway unlike apt-get, i know what im doing so i just need a way to force it to do what i want it to do.

just thought i explain it a little better... downgrading process involves removing and then installing packages. which in return involves temporarily breaking a dependency (for a few seconds). apt-get of course cant have that, so it just deletes you whole system to keep all dependencies met. i just need to fix some 40 packages and then i can have apt-get functioning like it should. ill try aptitude... but im pretty sure it uses apt-get to do everything...
is there a switch/option in apt-get that makes it ignore errors and dependecies?

apt-get may have supercow powers but this is an extremely stubborn supercow indeed. I gave up and switched to Gentoo because I got tired fighting apt-get (after I found myself creating dummy packages to satisfy this supercow). On the other hand - apt-get is very convenient for maintaining a stable Debian system.

perhaps it does have supercow powers... but its incredibly stupid.
i have no luck with aptidude either... its a little more clever than synaptic since it allows you to refuse to delete some package, but in return aptitude will refuse to actually APPLY any changes until all dependencies are met.

i would switch to gentoo this very minute... except im not ready for it quite yet. im only learning to fix compile errors and im not as patient as some other users unfortinately. i wanted linux to be less dependent and be in control. switching to gentoo will literrally bury me in forums, waiting for someones help. when my college semester is over, ill give it a shot at gentoo on another machine (i still need at least one fast working computer).

so i guess... ill just hafta manually fix it all with dpkg... ill fix one package every time i get on this computer. that way ill get it done by next week without boring myself to death.