What's a blocked update

[Terrell Prude' Jr.]

Willy Hamra wrote:
> 2009/6/20 Paul Lemmons <paul at lemmons.name>
>   
>> -------- Original Message  --------
>> Subject: What's a blocked update
>> From: Jerry Lapham <rjlapham at gmail.com>
>> To: kubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
>> Date: 06/19/2009 04:06 PM
>>     
>>> Today when I clicked on the Software Updates icon it showed 4 bug fix updates and 4 "blocked updates." The blocked updates were for kernel 2.6.28.11.15. I clicked on "Apply all available updates" and it downloaded and installed the bug fixes but not the blocked. The icon still showed 8 updates available.
>>>
>>>
>>> -Jerry
>>> ===========================================
>>> Jerry Lapham
>>> Monroe, OH 45050
>>> rjlapham at gmail.com
>>> ===========================================
>>> "I'm a middle linebacker," Tom said defensively.
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> This usually happens when apt recognizes that there is a newer version of a piece of software is available but not all of the prerequisites for it are available yet. Often doing an apt-get update will find the prerequisite software. If not, the best solution is to simply wait until they are.
>>
>>     
>
> sorry, but not quite right. if he uses apt-get distupgrade, the
> blocked updates will be installed. the difference in apt-get between
> normal upgrade and dist upgrade is the same as the difference in
> aptitude between safe upgrade and full upgrade. blocked updates are
> valid, but will their dependency setup requires the removal of an
> already installed package, thus apt refuse to install them except with
> dist upgrade
>
>
>
> --
> Willy K. Hamra
> Manager of Hamra Information Systems
> Co. Manager of Zeina Computers and Billy Net.
>   

Ah, a "Tom Swifty"...I haven't seen those in a long time!  :-)

Actually, Paul is also correct.  This will indeed happen in the case of 
a newer version of a piece of software, for which not all the prereq's 
are available yet.  And that includes a "dist-upgrade", which is about 
the only type of update I do anymore.  Matter of fact, I saw it happen 
on my Kubuntu Jaunty KDE 4.3Beta box just a week or two ago (it was a 
kernel update).  Waiting a few days for all the updates to appear on the 
repositories cleared it all up, and my "dist-upgrade" proceeded without 
further incident.

--TP