To: debian-user@pixar.com
Subject: Re:  New install

Bruce Perens writes ("Re:  New install"):
> [...]
> The "dselect" program is supposed to manage the dependency list for you.
> It'll get there - hopefully soon.

`dselect' currently *can* handle the dependencies for you.  The only
bits you have to do yourself are trivial (run dpkg with appropriate
options for each medium containing .deb files, and run dpkg with
different appropriate options to configure the packages).

Here is what I wrote when I announced the completion of dselect's main
package-selection functionality:

 You can now use dselect to do your package selection during
 installation, as follows:

 + Install the base system, and make sure you have the latest dpkg.  If
 you don't you must first install it with something like:
   dpkg --install dpkg-0.93.35.deb

 + Copy the Packages file from ftp.cps.cmich to
 /var/lib/dpkg/available.

 + Run dselect.  Select `list' from the menu, and select the packages
 you want to install.  You'll have to use `Q' and `D' a fair amount
 (see the keybindings help screen), as the package relationships are
 rather ropey at the moment.

 + Run, for each directory containing *.deb files you might want to
 install,
   dpkg --unpack --auto --no-also-select .../directory
 dpkg will run a `find' to find files ending in *.deb, see which of
 them have been selected, and unpack them onto your system.  This runs
 noninteractively, though you might want to run it inside `script' so
 that you'll be able to see what went wrong if there were any errors.

 + Run
   dpkg --auto --configure
 This will configure the packages you've just unpacked.

 Be careful - remember that dselect is still ALPHA.  You should be
 prepared to recover your /var/lib/dpkg/status file if something
 happens to it.

 If you get a stale lock on the `status' database you can use dpkg to
 clear it, by typing (for example) `dpkg --status dpkg'.  This problem
 will go away eventually.