getting apt to replace the whole thing

[jez]

[dist - Debian]

Hi there,

I have managed to cause alot of problems with dependancies on my system, through switching from APT-get to install from source by hand...

The state my machine is in now is that i can get a shell, network, no X, and apt works.
As far as i can tell this is about it.

When i run apt-get -u dist-upgrade --reinstall

I am told there is 0 upgraded, 0, and 0 and 0 (for the other info returned).

I want (and need) to get the whole system (almost) re-installed and i have a T1 at work so i thought i could do it there with apt, is there an apt command that will effectively restore my system?

I am using the official sources in my apt sources file.

Also there is nothing I need to save so there is no data considerations with this.

I have looked through the documentation for APT and it doesnt give any info about how to force a complete install (when there is an existing one).


Thanks

JEz

 

[thedaver]

Are you in a position to reinstall the box? Dependencies problems can be very bad when broken for Debian.

Also, are you aware that the Debian apt-get sites were offline earlier this week? Perhaps you literally had nothing to apt?

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[jez]

Yeah, I am thinking that i might need to re-install, there is no issues with re-installing, i only build the base system a couple of weeks ago.

I can but it will have to be from CD, then using apt(internet) once the base is there.

My problem is that it is a laptop and the dock station (with cdrom) weighs a ton and i'd rather not have to drag it to work.

Also, i didnt know the apt sites were down, but i dont think i was affected, as there definitely seemed to be some activity when i was causing all this trouble (yesterday and today).



I know it is quite a cavalier attitude to take to linux and i wouldnt dream of it on my servers but i am currently trying to completely switch my desktop over from windoze, because so many non-techie people ask me about linux and should they get it.... always a tricky question and it has been a while since i ran linux on the desktop (RH preivously).


Anyway, thanks for the tip, i am finding Debian to be alot tougher than RH, but i am getting to know alot more about the way linux works as a result (which was the point of it all anyway).


Thanks again.

JEz