Re: How harmful is pkg_add -f

From: Rudolf Polzer (divverent_at_caths.co.uk)
Date: 07/01/05 

Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 05:23:46 +0000 (UTC)

»nntp« <nntp@alexa.com> wrote:
> I have installed apache-1.3.33_1 which required by other packages.
>
> I am also interested in adding a ssl to apache, so I tried to
>
> pkg_add -r apache+ssl-1.3.33.1.55
>
> apache+ssl-1.3.33.1.55 does not require apache-1.3.33_1, but it is a
> modified 1.3.33, so I got this error:
>
> pkg_add: package 'apache+ssl-1.3.33.1.55' conflicts with apache-1.3.33_1
> pkg_add: please use pkg_delete first to remove conflicting package(s) or -f
> to force installation
>
> Since apache-1.3.33_1 is depended by sooo many others, I am so afraird to
> pkg_delete or pkg_add -f. Even afraid of trying, because it is a production
> server.
>
> Anyone tested it? I just hope it is not the end of the world.

pkg_add -f is surely a bad idea since then files are registered twice.

I'd go the opposite way: pkg_delete -f apache-1.3.33_1, pkg_add -r
apache+ssl-1.3.33.1.55 and the pkgdb -F where you can change the
dependencies of other packages on apache to apache+ssl.

However, this will break compatibility with further pkg_adds of packages
which require apache-1.3.33_1.

Which are these "sooo many others" that depend on apache? Can't be many,
since I do not have a single one of them. You might consider installing
Apache-depending packages from the ports instead so they work with
apache+ssl.

If you have a packages-only system, you might even have to build your
own versions of the Apache-depending packages on another system. 

-- 
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niedergemetzelt, grausamst in Stücke gerissen und bei lebendigem Leibe
zerschnitten, zersägt, zerhackt wird... es wäre nicht übertrieben, zu
sagen: "Boldly splitting German composites that no man had split before"

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