How does apt/dpkg choose which real package is installed when a virtual package is specified as a dependency?












2














e.g. if package specifies



Depends: www-browser


How does apt/dpkg decide which real package will be installed?










share|improve this question





























    2














    e.g. if package specifies



    Depends: www-browser


    How does apt/dpkg decide which real package will be installed?










    share|improve this question



























      2












      2








      2







      e.g. if package specifies



      Depends: www-browser


      How does apt/dpkg decide which real package will be installed?










      share|improve this question















      e.g. if package specifies



      Depends: www-browser


      How does apt/dpkg decide which real package will be installed?







      apt dpkg aptitude






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 34 mins ago









      peterh

      4,28592957




      4,28592957










      asked 3 hours ago









      the_velour_fog

      5,24533360




      5,24533360






















          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          2














          According to this answer on Ask Ubuntu, apt will first try to install any non-virtual packages listed as options instead:




          Now, according to sources, apt tries first of satisfying the dependency before trying with virtual packages (i.e., if depends are firefox | www-browser, checks if any of the packages are installed, then try to install firefox if neither is).




          If not, it will simply iterate over the list of packages that provide the virtual one, and install the first one that it can:




          If the non-virtual package isn't available, it seems to just iterate over all packages which provides the virtual package, if no other dependencies are broken. Other comments evidence of this behavior are this which leads to GrpIterator::FindPreferredPkg function.







          share|improve this answer





















            Your Answer








            StackExchange.ready(function() {
            var channelOptions = {
            tags: "".split(" "),
            id: "106"
            };
            initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

            StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
            // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
            if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
            StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
            createEditor();
            });
            }
            else {
            createEditor();
            }
            });

            function createEditor() {
            StackExchange.prepareEditor({
            heartbeatType: 'answer',
            autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
            convertImagesToLinks: false,
            noModals: true,
            showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
            reputationToPostImages: null,
            bindNavPrevention: true,
            postfix: "",
            imageUploader: {
            brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
            contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
            allowUrls: true
            },
            onDemand: true,
            discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
            ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
            });


            }
            });














            draft saved

            draft discarded


















            StackExchange.ready(
            function () {
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2funix.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f491843%2fhow-does-apt-dpkg-choose-which-real-package-is-installed-when-a-virtual-package%23new-answer', 'question_page');
            }
            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown

























            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes








            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            2














            According to this answer on Ask Ubuntu, apt will first try to install any non-virtual packages listed as options instead:




            Now, according to sources, apt tries first of satisfying the dependency before trying with virtual packages (i.e., if depends are firefox | www-browser, checks if any of the packages are installed, then try to install firefox if neither is).




            If not, it will simply iterate over the list of packages that provide the virtual one, and install the first one that it can:




            If the non-virtual package isn't available, it seems to just iterate over all packages which provides the virtual package, if no other dependencies are broken. Other comments evidence of this behavior are this which leads to GrpIterator::FindPreferredPkg function.







            share|improve this answer


























              2














              According to this answer on Ask Ubuntu, apt will first try to install any non-virtual packages listed as options instead:




              Now, according to sources, apt tries first of satisfying the dependency before trying with virtual packages (i.e., if depends are firefox | www-browser, checks if any of the packages are installed, then try to install firefox if neither is).




              If not, it will simply iterate over the list of packages that provide the virtual one, and install the first one that it can:




              If the non-virtual package isn't available, it seems to just iterate over all packages which provides the virtual package, if no other dependencies are broken. Other comments evidence of this behavior are this which leads to GrpIterator::FindPreferredPkg function.







              share|improve this answer
























                2












                2








                2






                According to this answer on Ask Ubuntu, apt will first try to install any non-virtual packages listed as options instead:




                Now, according to sources, apt tries first of satisfying the dependency before trying with virtual packages (i.e., if depends are firefox | www-browser, checks if any of the packages are installed, then try to install firefox if neither is).




                If not, it will simply iterate over the list of packages that provide the virtual one, and install the first one that it can:




                If the non-virtual package isn't available, it seems to just iterate over all packages which provides the virtual package, if no other dependencies are broken. Other comments evidence of this behavior are this which leads to GrpIterator::FindPreferredPkg function.







                share|improve this answer












                According to this answer on Ask Ubuntu, apt will first try to install any non-virtual packages listed as options instead:




                Now, according to sources, apt tries first of satisfying the dependency before trying with virtual packages (i.e., if depends are firefox | www-browser, checks if any of the packages are installed, then try to install firefox if neither is).




                If not, it will simply iterate over the list of packages that provide the virtual one, and install the first one that it can:




                If the non-virtual package isn't available, it seems to just iterate over all packages which provides the virtual package, if no other dependencies are broken. Other comments evidence of this behavior are this which leads to GrpIterator::FindPreferredPkg function.








                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered 3 hours ago









                Nonny Moose

                1415




                1415






























                    draft saved

                    draft discarded




















































                    Thanks for contributing an answer to Unix & Linux Stack Exchange!


                    • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                    But avoid



                    • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                    • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                    To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.





                    Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.


                    Please pay close attention to the following guidance:


                    • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                    But avoid



                    • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                    • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                    To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                    draft saved


                    draft discarded














                    StackExchange.ready(
                    function () {
                    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2funix.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f491843%2fhow-does-apt-dpkg-choose-which-real-package-is-installed-when-a-virtual-package%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                    }
                    );

                    Post as a guest















                    Required, but never shown





















































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown

































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown







                    Popular posts from this blog

                    What visual should I use to simply compare current year value vs last year in Power BI desktop

                    Alexandru Averescu

                    Trompette piccolo