Bug#621836: exim4: Could not perform immediate configuration

[Andreas Metzler]

On 2011-04-09 Slavko <linux at slavino.sk> wrote:
> Package: exim4
> Severity: impotant
> Version: 4.72-6

> I have postfix installed, when i want replace it with exim4, the
> aptitude proper selects postfix to remove, but installation fails with
> error:

> E: Could not perform immediate configuration on 'exim4-daemon-light'.
> Please see man 5 apt.conf under APT::Immediate-Configure for details.

> Using option "-o APT::Immediate-Configure=0" don't helps.

> IMHO, it must be possible simple replace the other MTAs by installing
> exim4, actually i did it installed by these steps:

> dpkg -i exim4-base_4.72-6_amd64.deb  exim4-config_4.72-6_all.deb exim4-daemon-light_4.72-6_amd64.deb  exim4_4.72-6_all.debexim4 exim4-daemon-light exim4-config

> which fails with dependencies error. after this i force remove postfix:

> dpkg --force-all -r postfix

> and now is exim4 installable and i end installation by running:

> aptitude install
[...]

works for me:
-----------------------------------
[postfix is installed]
(SID)root at argenau:/# DEBIAN_FRONTEND=readline aptitude install exim4
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  cron{a} exim4 exim4-base{a} exim4-config{ab} exim4-daemon-light{ab} 
  libgcrypt11{a} libgnutls26{a} libgpg-error0{a} libtasn1-3{a} 
The following packages are RECOMMENDED but will NOT be installed:
  bsd-mailx heirloom-mailx lockfile-progs mailutils 
0 packages upgraded, 9 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 476 kB/3127 kB of archives. After unpacking 6963 kB will be used.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
  exim4-config: Conflicts: postfix but 2.8.2-1 is installed.
  postfix: Conflicts: mail-transport-agent which is a virtual package.
  exim4-daemon-light: Conflicts: mail-transport-agent which is a virtual package.
The following actions will resolve these dependencies:

     Remove the following packages:
1)     postfix                     



Accept this solution? [Y/n/q/?] 
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  cron{a} exim4 exim4-base{a} exim4-config{a} exim4-daemon-light{a} 
  libgcrypt11{a} libgnutls26{a} libgpg-error0{a} libtasn1-3{a} 
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  postfix{a} 
The following packages are RECOMMENDED but will NOT be installed:
  bsd-mailx heirloom-mailx lockfile-progs mailutils 
0 packages upgraded, 9 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 476 kB/3127 kB of archives. After unpacking 3486 kB will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n/?] 
Get:1 ftp://ftp.at.debian.org/debian/ sid/main exim4-config all 4.75-1 [468 kB]
Get:2 ftp://ftp.at.debian.org/debian/ sid/main exim4 all 4.75-1 [7796 B]
Fetched 476 kB in 1s (354 kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Mail Server configuration
-------------------------

Please select the mail server configuration type that best meets your needs.

Systems with dynamic IP addresses, including dialup systems, should generally be
configured to send outgoing mail to another machine, called a 'smarthost' for 
delivery because many receiving systems on the Internet block incoming mail from
dynamic IP addresses as spam protection.

A system with a dynamic IP address can receive its own mail, or local delivery 
can be disabled entirely (except mail for root and postmaster).

  1. internet site; mail is sent and received directly using SMTP
  2. mail sent by smarthost; received via SMTP or fetchmail
  3. mail sent by smarthost; no local mail
  4. local delivery only; not on a network
  5. no configuration at this time

General type of mail configuration: 4
[.... more exim4 debconf questions ...]
(Reading database ... 18524 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing postfix ...
Stopping Postfix Mail Transport Agent: postfix.
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Selecting previously deselected package cron.
(Reading database ... 18366 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking cron (from .../cron_3.0pl1-116_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package exim4-config.
Unpacking exim4-config (from .../exim4-config_4.75-1_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package exim4-base.
Unpacking exim4-base (from .../exim4-base_4.75-1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libgpg-error0.
Unpacking libgpg-error0 (from .../libgpg-error0_1.10-0.3_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libgcrypt11.
Unpacking libgcrypt11 (from .../libgcrypt11_1.4.6-5_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libtasn1-3.
Unpacking libtasn1-3 (from .../libtasn1-3_2.9-2_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package libgnutls26.
Unpacking libgnutls26 (from .../libgnutls26_2.10.5-1+b1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package exim4-daemon-light.
Unpacking exim4-daemon-light (from .../exim4-daemon-light_4.75-1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package exim4.
Unpacking exim4 (from .../archives/exim4_4.75-1_all.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up cron (3.0pl1-116) ...
Starting periodic command scheduler: cron.
Setting up exim4-config (4.75-1) ...
Setting up exim4-base (4.75-1) ...
Setting up libgpg-error0 (1.10-0.3) ...
Setting up libgcrypt11 (1.4.6-5) ...
Setting up libtasn1-3 (2.9-2) ...
Setting up libgnutls26 (2.10.5-1+b1) ...
Setting up exim4-daemon-light (4.75-1) ...
Starting MTA: exim4.
Setting up exim4 (4.75-1) ...
-----------------------------------

cu andreas