Re: Updating system with ia32-apt-get

[Goswin von Brederlow <goswin-v-b@web.de>]

Norval Watson <norv2001@yahoo.com.au> writes:

>> From: Goswin von Brederlow <goswin-v-b@web.de>
>
>> 
>> Norval Watson writes:
>> 
>> > Hi Goswin,
>> >
>> > Thanks for maintaining the new ia32-apt-get, I think it is a step forward to a 
>> true multi-arch environment.
>> > One small question:
>> > When updating a system with ia32-apt-get installed, should I run
>> >
>> > sudo apt-get update
>> > sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
>> > sudo ia32-apt-get update
>> > sudo ia32-apt-get dist-upgrade
>> >
>> > Or is that overkill?
>> >
>> > Thanks again,
>> > Norv
>> 
>> That is overkill and might even do the wrong thing now (starting with
>> version 23 you don't have yet). Starting with ia32-apt-get version 23
>> one can blacklist packages from one architecture so packages from
>> another are used. The example (and default config) being wine where I
>> want the i386 debs to be used instead of the amd64 debs. But the
>> blacklisting only works for ia32-apt-get and "apt-get dist-upgrade"
>> would happily install the amd64 debs. Because of the ~XX added to the
>> version in ia32-apt-get you would then be stuck with them.
>> 
>> Using only "ia32-apt-get" for all things is recommended to avoid
>> unexpected results. But if you forget then the system won't blow up.
>> It is not dangerous.
>> 
>> MfG
>>         Goswin
>
> Thanks for the clarification!
> When I run apt-get dist-upgrade and ia32-apt-get dist-upgrade I get stuck with
>
> E: Couldn't configure pre-depend libc6-i386 for lib32stdc++6, probably a dependency cycle.
>
> And as you suggest I seem to be getting the a double dose of the same packages by using both commands.
> Is there any way to remove all the the unnecessary packages?
>
> Thanks again,
> Norv

That isn't a double dose or unnecessary packages. You just get the
exact same again since it failed the first time. The problem is a bug
in apt that makes it think it has a dependency cycle and you need to
do some hand holding till a workaround is added to lib32stdc++6. Try
the following:

ia32-apt-get install libc6-i386
ia32-apt-get install lib32stdc++6

If that fails reverse the order. But I think I remembered it right.
If that still doesn't work come back.

If that worked then upgrade/dist-upgrade should work again (unless one
of the other lib32* packages hits the same bug). This is an apt /
lib32* bug though, nothing to do with ia32-apt-get. That's why you see
it in plain apt-get too.

MfG
        Goswin