How to disable grub-mkconfig once and forever?

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Sat, 9 Jul 2016 12:33:00 -0400, Tom H wrote:
>> Package: grub-pc
>> Version: 2015:09-06-moonstudio
>> Maintainer: Weremouse <silver.bullet at zoho.com>
>> Architecture: all
>> Description: Dummy package  
>
>You should've kept the dummy package.
>
>When I use equivs, I name the package replacing $PACKAGE
>"local-$PACKAGE" and have
>
>Package: local-$PACKAGE
>Version: 1.0
>Replaces: $PACKAGE
>Provides: $PACKAGE
>
>in the control file.

Hi Tom,

your dummy packages do not prevent against an unwanted install, but my
dummy packages do :p.

Take a look at the test when I run apt-get install, first with a dummy
package by your style


  [root at moonstudio src]# cat dummies/gvfs-dummy 
  Priority: optional
  Standards-Version: 3.9.2

  Package: gvfs-dummy
  Version: 2016:07-13-moonstudio
  Maintainer: Weremouse <silver.bullet at zoho.com>
  Provides: gvfs
  Replaces: gvfs
  Architecture: all
  Description: Dummy package


then using a dummy package by my approach


  [root at moonstudio src]# cat dummies/gvfs 
  Priority: optional
  Standards-Version: 3.9.2

  Package: gvfs
  Version: 2016:07-13-moonstudio
  Maintainer: Weremouse <silver.bullet at zoho.com>
  Architecture: all
  Description: Dummy package


[root at moonstudio src]# dpkg -l *dummy|grep ii
ii  gvfs-dummy       2016:07-13-moonstudio all          Dummy package
ii  pulseaudio-dummy 2016:07-13-moonstudio all          Dummy package


[root at moonstudio src]# apt-get install --no-install-recommends nautilus 
[snip]
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  gnome-desktop3-data gvfs gvfs-common gvfs-daemons gvfs-libs libexempi3
  libgail-3-0 libgnome-desktop-3-12 libmediaart-2.0-0
  libnautilus-extension1a libtracker-sparql-1.0-0 libzeitgeist-2.0-0
  nautilus nautilus-data session-migration
0 upgraded, 15 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
[snip]
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
Abort.


[root at moonstudio src]# apt-get purge gvfs-dummy pulseaudio-dummy &&
                       dpkg -i dummies/gvfs_*deb dummies/pulseaudio_*deb
[snip]


[root at moonstudio src]# dpkg -l gvfs pulseaudio|grep ii 
ii  gvfs           2016:07-13-moonstudio all          Dummy package
ii  pulseaudio     2016:07-13-moonstudio all          Dummy package


[root at moonstudio src]# apt-get install --no-install-recommends nautilus 
[snip]
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  gnome-desktop3-data libexempi3 libgail-3-0 libgnome-desktop-3-12
  libmediaart-2.0-0 libnautilus-extension1a libtracker-sparql-1.0-0
  libzeitgeist-2.0-0 nautilus nautilus-data session-migration
0 upgraded, 11 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
[snip]
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
Abort.


However, even my approach has got a pitfall, since a do release upgrade
enforces to install recommended packages, my gvfs dummy would be useless,
because gvfs-backends is a recommended package of nautilus and it has got
hard dependencies to gvfs-common, gvfs-daemons and gvfs-libs.

Anyway, the package gvfs never gets installed, IOW apart from possible
pitfalls, my dummy packages do their job, your dummy packages at least
don't do their jobs regarding my needs.

Regards,
Ralf