Regarding apt and synaptic

[Paul Howarth]

Vikram Goyal wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I use apt and synaptic in FC5. Recently an update for apt is removing
> synaptic.
> 
> I think it's a bug. Where shall one report it.
> 
> The yum output is:
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Resolving Dependencies
> --> Populating transaction set with selected packages. Please wait.
> ---> Downloading header for apt to pack into transaction set.
> apt-0.5.15lorg3.2-65.rhfc 100% |=========================|  34 kB
> 00:01
> ---> Package apt.i386 1:0.5.15lorg3.2-65.rhfc5.at set to be updated
> --> Running transaction check
> --> Processing Dependency: apt = 1:0.5.15lorg3.1 for package: synaptic
> --> Finished Dependency Resolution
> Error: Missing Dependency: apt = 1:0.5.15lorg3.1 is needed by package
> synaptic
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Should I wait for another update of apt?

This is a feature rather than a bug. Apt/synaptic are too clever for 
their own good.

Apt/synaptic is insistent on maintaining the integrity of the rpm 
database and will not allow it to get in a state with broken 
dependencies. This is a good thing. However, one of the strategies for 
fixing things is to remove things that would have broken dependencies 
when something else gets updated. This is of debatable value.

In this case, synaptic has a very specific dependency on release 
1:0.5.15lorg3.1 of apt. This will no longer be satisfied after updating 
apt to 0.5.15lorg3.2-65.rhfc, so apt removes synaptic so as not to break 
the dependency.

To prevent this from happening, what you need is not another new version 
of apt, it's a new version of synaptic to go with your new version of 
apt. You should almost certainly make sure that you get apt and synaptic 
from the same repository since they appear to be so tightly linked.

Paul.