Backports with Pin-priority 500

[cynwulf]

(I use libreoffice from backports rather than openoffice so the gnome in squeeze is going to think that either one dependency is unsatisfied.)

"gnome" is a meta-package, if you don't want to install all of it - get rid of it and install gnome-desktop-environment or gnome-core and whatever other packages you want. There are no openoffice dependencies for gnome anyway apart from a couple of suggests.

You may be thinking of gnome-office, which has one of those "or" dependencies, which means if you remove one of two dependencies it tries to install openoffice or vice versa If you're using backports it's better to get rid of those types of meta-packages as you will often be replacing many of their dependencies.

[Roel]

Well, the fix is in today!

Almost. On my 64-bits desktop, everything is upgraded indeed. But the 32-bits VirtualBox install still misses something, so does my 32-bits laptop. I just won't make the apt-get -f install mistake again!

[Eck]

It's not a problem keeping the meta's around. The only time I confront them is when checking the View-Audit Recommends in the NCurses Aptitude.

It's especially convenient when eventually upgrading to testing. The meta's will make aptitude automatically make the changes in the desktop packages, removing stuff that's no longer in them as obsoletes and offering installation of new stuff added to the meta's. Still gotta watch what apt/aptitude offers to do and perhaps make adjustments for smooth upgrades.

When I did the libreoffice.org backports upgrade from the stable openoffice.org, sure, aptitude wanted to install the gnome-office (abiword, etc). I just didn't let it, choosing the selection that would have it ignore that dependency (the gnome-office | openoffice.org one.) So it will now show in the Audit Recommends screen that I use as one way to keep an eye on things.

[Roel]

Here's a good howto: http://x.debian.net/reference/squeeze-backports.html