packages kept back on Debian stable

[L Dimov]

Is it normal that for a while now, maybe 2 or so weeks, these 17 packages are continuing to be kept back? I am on Debian 11 Bullseye stable with only main repositories.

The following packages have been kept back:
  gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0 gir1.2-webkit2-4.0 libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 libreoffice libreoffice-base libreoffice-base-core
  libreoffice-base-drivers libreoffice-calc libreoffice-common libreoffice-core libreoffice-draw libreoffice-impress libreoffice-math
  libreoffice-writer libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 linux-image-amd64 python3-uno
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 17 not upgraded.

Thanks!

Luben

[Greg Wooledge]

What command are you typing to get this result? If you're using
"apt-get upgrade", try "apt-get dist-upgrade" instead, or if you prefer,
"apt-get --with-new-pkgs upgrade".

[L Dimov]

I do indeed use apt-get update and apt-get upgrade, and I am aware that there are ways I can force them to upgrade, but should I?

[David Wright]

On Thu 24 Feb 2022 at 17:50:28 (+0000), L Dimov wrote:
> On Thursday, February 24, 2022, 12:39:27 PM EST, Greg Wooledge <gr...@wooledge.org> wrote:
> > On Thu, Feb 24, 2022 at 05:32:45PM +0000, L Dimov wrote:
> > > Is it normal that for a while now, maybe 2 or so weeks, these 17 packages are continuing to be kept back? I am on Debian 11 Bullseye stable with only main repositories.
> > >
> > > The following packages have been kept back:
> > >   gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0 gir1.2-webkit2-4.0 libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 libreoffice libreoffice-base libreoffice-base-core
> > >   libreoffice-base-drivers libreoffice-calc libreoffice-common libreoffice-core libreoffice-draw libreoffice-impress libreoffice-math
> > >   libreoffice-writer libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 linux-image-amd64 python3-uno
> > > 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 17 not upgraded.
> > >

> > What command are you typing to get this result?  If you're using
> > "apt-get upgrade", try "apt-get dist-upgrade" instead, or if you prefer,
> > "apt-get --with-new-pkgs upgrade".
> I do indeed use apt-get update and apt-get upgrade, and I am aware that there are ways I can force them to upgrade, but should I?

apt-get is a good tool to use, but only if you learn how
to use it effectively. You're not going to "force" anything.
You merely have to allow libopengl0 to be installed so that
libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 and libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 can be
upgraded.

Cheers,
David.

[Christian Britz]

On 2022-02-24 18:50 UTC+0100, L Dimov wrote:

> I do indeed use apt-get update and apt-get upgrade, and I am aware that
> there are ways I can force them to upgrade, but should I?

At least it will help you to analyze the situation, you still can cancel
the operation.
IMO this is not a normal situation on the stable distribution. Maybe
packages from outside Debian are affected?

--
http://www.cb-fraggle.de

[L Dimov]

In that case, should I be running the dist-upgrade every time I encounter such the issue of packages being kept back?
Here is the output from apt-get dist-upgrade by the way:

The following NEW packages will be installed:

  libabsl20200923 libopengl0 linux-image-5.10.0-11-amd64
The following packages will be upgraded:

  gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0 gir1.2-webkit2-4.0 libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 libreoffice libreoffice-base libreoffice-base-core
  libreoffice-base-drivers libreoffice-calc libreoffice-common libreoffice-core libreoffice-draw libreoffice-impress libreoffice-math
  libreoffice-writer libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 linux-image-amd64 python3-uno

17 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/163 MB of archives.
After this operation, 312 MB of additional disk space will be used.

Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

Thanks!

Luben

[Christian Britz]

On 2022-02-24 19:32 UTC+0100, L Dimov wrote:
> The following NEW packages will be installed:
>   libabsl20200923 libopengl0 linux-image-5.10.0-11-amd64

These are legitimate Debian packages which are also installed on my
Bullseye system. Apparently, some dependencies have changed.

--
http://www.cb-fraggle.de

[David Wright]

On Thu 24 Feb 2022 at 18:32:47 (+0000), L Dimov wrote:
> On Thursday, February 24, 2022, 01:12:48 PM EST, David Wright <deb...@lionunicorn.co.uk> wrote:
> > On Thu 24 Feb 2022 at 17:50:28 (+0000), L Dimov wrote:
> > > On Thursday, February 24, 2022, 12:39:27 PM EST, Greg Wooledge <gr...@wooledge.org> wrote: 
> > > >  On Thu, Feb 24, 2022 at 05:32:45PM +0000, L Dimov wrote:
> > > > > Is it normal that for a while now, maybe 2 or so weeks, these 17 packages are continuing to be kept back? I am on Debian 11 Bullseye stable with only main repositories.
> > > > >
> > > > > The following packages have been kept back:
> > > > >   gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0 gir1.2-webkit2-4.0 libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 libreoffice libreoffice-base libreoffice-base-core
> > > > >   libreoffice-base-drivers libreoffice-calc libreoffice-common libreoffice-core libreoffice-draw libreoffice-impress libreoffice-math
> > > > >   libreoffice-writer libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 linux-image-amd64 python3-uno
> > > > > 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 17 not upgraded.
> > > > >
> > > > What command are you typing to get this result?  If you're using
> > > > "apt-get upgrade", try "apt-get dist-upgrade" instead, or if you prefer,
> > > > "apt-get --with-new-pkgs upgrade".
> > > I do indeed use apt-get update and apt-get upgrade, and I am aware that there are ways I can force them to upgrade, but should I?
> >
> > apt-get is a good tool to use, but only if you learn how
> > to use it effectively. You're not going to "force" anything.
> > You merely have to allow libopengl0 to be installed so that
> > libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 and libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 can be
> > upgraded.
>

> In that case, should I be running the dist-upgrade every time I encounter such the issue of packages being kept back?
> Here is the output from apt-get dist-upgrade by the way:
>
> The following NEW packages will be installed:  libabsl20200923 libopengl0 linux-image-5.10.0-11-amd64
> The following packages will be upgraded:
>   gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0 gir1.2-webkit2-4.0 libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 libreoffice libreoffice-base libreoffice-base-core
>   libreoffice-base-drivers libreoffice-calc libreoffice-common libreoffice-core libreoffice-draw libreoffice-impress libreoffice-math
>   libreoffice-writer libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 linux-image-amd64 python3-uno
> 17 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
> Need to get 0 B/163 MB of archives.
> After this operation, 312 MB of additional disk space will be used.
> Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

As you and I both install the generic kernel linux-image-amd64, we
would expect to have to use apt-get dist-upgrade whenever there's
a new kernel version (because a version number is included in the
package name, so it's a "new" package).

The other two are more unusual; so for example I have only needed
dist-upgrade once in two years on this buster system, last June.

I've just installed libopengl0 on my bullseye, but didn't require
libabsl20200923, perhaps (at first glance) because I don't have
those gir1.2* packages shown above.

But yes, always check with dist-upgrade whenever packages are held
back, and inspect the output.

And BTW, the more frequently you upgrade your system, the lower the
probability that you will hit three of these occurrences at the same
time. (The kernel upgrade was available before the end of January.)

Cheers,
David.

[L Dimov]

On Thursday, February 24, 2022, 03:52:21 PM EST, David Wright <deb...@lionunicorn.co.uk> wrote:

As you and I both install the generic kernel linux-image-amd64, we
would expect to have to use  apt-get dist-upgrade  whenever there's
a new kernel version (because a version number is included in the
package name, so it's a "new" package).

The other two are more unusual; so for example I have only needed
dist-upgrade once in two years on this buster system, last June.

I've just installed libopengl0 on my bullseye, but didn't require
libabsl20200923, perhaps (at first glance) because I don't have
those gir1.2* packages shown above.

But yes, always check with dist-upgrade whenever packages are held
back, and inspect the output.

And BTW, the more frequently you upgrade your system, the lower the
probability that you will hit three of these occurrences at the same
time. (The kernel upgrade was available before the end of January.)

Cheers,
David.

Thank you David, that is good to know.
Luben

[Geoff]

L Dimov wrote:
> As you and I both install the generic kernel linux-image-amd64, we
> would expect to have to use  apt-get dist-upgrade  whenever there's
> a new kernel version (because a version number is included in the
> package name, so it's a "new" package).
>

apt upgrade will install new packages but not rip anything out.

Regards,
Geoff