[csw-maintainers] Packages that require either package A or package B'

[Ben Walton]

Excerpts from Philip Brown's message of Thu May 21 14:02:57 -0400 2009:
> if you apt-get [somepackage], and that package
> "depends on mysql|postgres", and neither is installed...
> What happens?

I've never actually interacted with it through command-line apt, but
always through aptitude.  When I select a package that requires A|B,
it will mark that package as having unmet dependencies.  I can then
resolve the dependency by selecting one of the available options.
This satisfies the condition and away we go.  Same goes for the
general Provides/Requires.  Broken until the selected package set
meets the criteria.

I suspect that command-line apt would simply quit with an error
(likely listing the packages that would fulfill the requirements).  If
you ran apt-get again with firstpkg deppkg, it would run to
completion.

They also provide a 'suggests' feature that can interact with this
(although it can be used independently also to provide additional,
optional functionality).  A 'suggested' package may be the preferred
db backend, for example.

-Ben
-- 
Ben Walton
Systems Programmer - CHASS
University of Toronto
C:416.407.5610 | W:416.978.4302

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