[pkg-nvidia-devel] Bug#590221: Package: nvidia-glx-legacy-173xx

[Steven Altermatt]

Sorry about not Cc:ing the bug.

>apt (and all the package managers) not default to install recommeds by
>default. Therefore you see these extra packages being installed.
This makes no sense, apt and synaptic do install recommends as depends by
default, and so does aptitude as far  as I know. Still doesn't explain why
the older gcc and kernel pkgs were also being installed. Perhaps because I
don't build the kernel headers, usually, since I have no need to. Build a
custom kernel and needed modules and install them.  First install source,
build module(s), install it, install the glx pkg and restart X, or reboot if
kernel is built also. Not a big deal.

>nvidia-kernel-dkms
> Recommends kernel headers -- so you hopefully have the headers for
>your running kernel installed and the module can be built automatically
Only if one wants this done automatically, shouldn't be forced upon the
user. Which happened because the legacy changelog did not have the necessary
info in it so the user could decide whether to use dkms or not.

>Read the changelog of nvidia-graphics-drivers, the full details are there
It's not in the legacy drivers' changelog, one has to go find it in the
version for newer cards, and read several months of changes. Just stating:

synchronize packaging with nvidia-graphics-drivers 195.36.24-4

doesn't help the user know what is going on, or know that installation of
the nvidia drivers could be automatically done if their system is set up a
certain way, if one even wants that. Should have been put in the changelog
for the legacy drivers.

>You can solve your "problem" in the following two ways:

>1. apt-get --no-install-recommends nvidia-kernel-legacy-173xx-
>source,
>then you can build your module and install nvidia-glx-...

>2. if you don't want to use dkms, set up apt pinning to prevent it's
>installation. see APT_PREFERENCES(5)
I had already solved the problem by unchecking the default synaptic
behavior, which is the same as #1. I use synaptic because I have problems
with  my hands, too much typing causes pain and numbness, so I will have to
check out doing #2 in synaptic. Still don't think this was done right,
legacy changelogs were missing important info, forcing users to use dkms
isn't right, especially when the older kernel headers were being pulled in,
and that would have caused problems with my newer custom kernel. Should have
been a suggested option, since all the pkg management programs install
recommends by default. Thanks for the work and info.

Steven Altermatt
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