Preventing a Debian package from installing (Pinning out)

[Mark Hobley]

How to I prevent a package from installing on a Debian system?

I know it is possible to hold a package to prevent upgrade, but I want to hold
a package to prevent it from being installed at all.

Please advise.

Regards,

Mark.
--
Mark Hobley
393 Quinton Road West
QUINTON
Birmingham
B32 1QE

Telephone: [phone]
International: 0044 121 247 1596

Email: markhobley at hotpop dot donottypethisbit com

http://markhobley.yi.org/

[Mark Hobley]

Post by Mark Hobley
How to I prevent a package from installing on a Debian system?

I have created a configuration file /etc/apt/preferences as follows:

Package: base-passwd
Pin: version *
Pin-Priority: -1

I want to lock out base-passwd from ever re-installing.

When I run dselect, it still shows base-passwd as destined for re-installation.

Is this because some packages still have dependencies on base-passwd?

Can I override the package database for the dependendants, tricking the package
database into thinking that the packages are not dependent on base-passwd?

How do I do this?
--
Mark Hobley
393 Quinton Road West
QUINTON
Birmingham
B32 1QE

Telephone: [phone]
International: 0044 121 247 1596

Email: markhobley at hotpop dot donottypethisbit com

http://markhobley.yi.org/