#1 2020-04-02 01:42:17

maestrobwh1

Member

Registered: 2015-11-11

Posts: 10

[solved] apt won't install packages

So I went to install remmina and both apt, aptitude and synaptic refused to install it, listing dependencies that "won't be installed" so I installed the dependency packages individually, and one pulled it's own dependencies, and I kept doing it, then remmina would install.  This also happened a few other times. 

Apt is not seemingly able to figure out how to just install packages that are dependencies that do not break the system. 

Help?

Last edited by maestrobwh1 (2020-04-02 18:30:53)

ohnonot

...again

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 5,592

Re: [solved] apt won't install packages

Did you go through with the welcome script after installation?

I just tried to install remmina on Helium and I can see what is happening:

• remmina is available only in stretch-backports (see for yourself with 'apt-cache policy remmina'). Apt finds it.

• all its dependencies are also available in stretch-backports only, but apt does not see that by default

It should Just Work (tm) if you install remmina like this:

apt install -t stretch-backports remmina

You might think this clunky and unintuitive, but I think it's good to remind oneself where the software comes from and make conscious choices.

maestrobwh1

Member

Registered: 2015-11-11

Posts: 10

Re: [solved] apt won't install packages

Honestly, I have never seen this.  I have been using Linux since 2006.  I learn something new every day.

I will keep that in mind when something "resists" installing.  I didn't think I had anything held or a broken package or a dependency conflict.

Oddly, when I was using Synaptic, I just installed each dependency until remmina and remmina named packages that were dependencies were the only ones left, then it just "moved past" the effort I was making.