Re: first install of RefDB .debs

Hi Daniel,

> I tried testing--though that often causes trouble with Ubuntu, since
> that's where the forks exist. The following unmet dependencies arise:
>   
>> The following packages have unmet dependencies:
>>   refdb: Depends: libdbd-sqlite (>= 0.8.1-2) but 0.7.1-3 is to be installed
>>          Depends: whiptail (>= 0.52.2-4) but 0.51.6-31ubuntu1 is to be installed
>>          Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3.6-6) but 2.3.6-0ubuntu20 is to be installed

I'm limited in how much I can help you.  I've never used ubuntu.  Ubuntu 
clearly does a lot of things right as it has become so popular so 
quickly.  Unfortunately, one of the problems with ubuntu is that it 
diverges significantly from debian.  There is, apparently, no guarantee 
a ubuntu package will install on debian, and vice versa.  Each distro 
blames the other but that doesn't change the fact.  Many packages now 
have separate maintainers for debian and ubuntu for just this reason.  I 
think refdb has become another example.

You appear to have a couple of problems here:

1. libdbd-sqlite

I refer you to an earlier posting on this thread in which I made two 
suggestions for why the 0.7.1-x version of libdbd-sqlite is being 
installed instead of 0.8.1-x and made some suggestions for overcoming them.

2. libc6, whiptail and company

whiptail is a "soft" dependency.  The version I've nominated is the 
version of the package in 'testing' when it became a dependency.  Only 
it's most basic functionality is actually required and I'm sure an 
earlier version would work just as well.

libc6 is more difficult.  I know for a fact 2.3.2.ds1 is not compatible 
with refdb.  2.3.6-6 *is* compatible.  Unfortunately, I don't know 
whereabouts in-between the incompatibility arose.  If I relax the 
version requirement to accommodate the ubuntu version I may well cause 
breakage on a debian system using an earlier debian version.

Sorry if that makes me sound a little ignorant of the requirements of my 
own package.  Unfortunately, the dependencies remain frozen at whatever 
their original versions were until something breaks -- usually when 
Markus uses new functionality provided by a more recent version.  When 
the problem is tracked down to the relevant package, I simply test the 
most recent version in 'testing'.  If it works, that version becomes the 
new dependency.  I hope that shows how it is I can be unaware of the 
exact version at which incompatibility occurs.

I'm presuming the ubuntu versions of these packages are fairly 
up-to-date.  If you ensure the latest versions of each are installed, 
I'd personally be inclined to simply force the install of package 
'refdb' while ignoring the dependency conflicts.  You would need to test 
the basic operation of refdb after installation to make sure it works 
with libc6.

If your package manager won't let you force an install, download the deb 
directly from either:
    
http://refdb.sourceforge.net/debian/release/pool/r/refdb/refdb_0.9.7-pre7_i386.deb
or
    
http://refdb.sourceforge.net/debian/svn/pool/r/refdb/refdb_0.0-svn-<date>_i386.deb
depending on whether you want the pre-release or recent svn version, 
then install it directly with:
    dpkg --force-depends-version -i /path/to/refdb_<version>_i386.deb

If that advice sounds a bit reckless, perhaps you could approach the 
maintainers of the affected ubuntu packages and ask which version of the 
debian packages correspond to theirs.

> I'm getting a 404 error on all stable debian packages.
>   

The refdb repositories supply only 'testing' and 'unstable' versions of 
package 'refdb'.  In reality both versions are the same package badged 
in two ways using the "pooled repository" model.

As a matter of policy I don't supply a 'stable' version.  Markus has a 
general habit of quickly utilising new functionality provided by 
underlying libraries and tools as they become available.  Since debian 
'stable' so quickly falls behind the cutting edge, maintaining a 
'stable' version would be far too much work for me.  Even using debian 
'testing' as my target build platform, Markus occasionally incorporates 
new features from packages that have not yet made it to 'testing' (or 
even 'unstable'!).  This can cause delays while waiting for the new 
version to hit 'testing' or even result in me hand-rolling the relevant 
debs and making them available in a custom repository (think libdbi0* 
and libdbd*).

Once refdb reaches a 1.0 release it will probably be appropriate to 
start providing a stable version, but that will require so much work to 
my build system I don't dare contemplate it now.

The debian package management tools provide methods for mixing and 
matching repositories and versions.  As a place to start, you could try 
googling on "pinning preferences apt".

Regards,
David.

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