On Tue, Nov 15, 2016 at 08:54:58PM +0100, Sebastian Ramacher wrote: > On 2016-11-15 10:06:42, Brian Holaday wrote: > > Using jessie-backports seemed to fix the issue (should of tried it to begin > > with): > > apt-get install -t jessie-backports vlc > > apt-get install -t jessie-backports browser-plugin-vlc > > > > I was confused on the fact that looking at > > https://packages.debian.org/jessie/vlc it shows jessie but does not list > > packages for jessie-backports so I assumed there was none even though there > > is a package. > > There is no vlc version in jessie-backports. The problem is more like the > following: > > * vlc depends on libA. > * libB from jessie-backports is installed. > * libA and libB enforce a strict relationship, i.e. either both versions are > from stable or from stable-backports. > > So now apt fails to install libA from stable and does not pick up the version > from stable-backports (unless one explicitely adds -t stable-backports to the > command line). > > So I'm reassigning this issue to apt. Dear apt maintainers, if this is a > use-case you do not want to support, feel free to close the issue.
In a way backports admins don't want that, so our opinion isn't super relevant. They are very keen on having the user opt-in to each and every package from backports to a point they don't want backports enabled in the default sources as apt would install a package from backports if it is only in backports without any qualms… – but it always did that, so we can't just change it to make them happy even if we wanted to (and personally, I am with apt here, so I don't want ;) ) Anyway, yes, we don't want to support this in the default resolver as it would overrule pinning. That said, the error message you get tends to be on the confusing side for such cases, so having something better their would be nice… unlikely to happen soon through as a lot of ground needs to be covered to make apts default resolver intelligent enough to produce helpful messages. Other solvers have a lot more liberty of course: I haven't tried but aptitude or apt with --solver aspcud (or another) likely solves this specific situation – but they have other drawbacks in exchange. Best regards David Kalnischkies
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