Re: Version numbers going backwards

[David Holland <dholland-pkgtech%netbsd.org@localhost>]

On Mon, Feb 24, 2025 at 07:55:17PM +0000, John Klos wrote:
 > I'm aware. I'm referring to the bug that happens when you try to update
 > vim-share, which should automatically update vim, and we end up with:
 > 
 > [...]
 > Package `vim-share-9.0.1598' is still required by other packages:
 > 	vim-9.0.0960
 > 	vim-9.0.1598
 > 
 > We've had this for many, many years now. I don't know why it happens
 > sometimes but not others.

This is just ("just") a bug in pkg_install. When removing a package,
and the right circumstances pertain (which includes, but I think is
not limited to, this case of a depend being exact), it removes the
package but fails to remove it from +REQUIRED_BY.

This leaves the package database corrupt. You can clean it up again
with pkg_admin rebuild-tree, but you shouldn't have to.

I think the only real reason nobody's gotten around to fixing this is
that the friction level for pkg_install changes is so high.

-- 
David A. Holland
dholland%netbsd.org@localhost