MIssing information when you have to decide between packages during updating

[Jeff Johnson]

Adding more info to support package alternatives

[Molch-b (molch-b)]

Description of problem:

Quite often during updates (GUI and urpmi) you are asked to select one of several versions of a package. Example as of today:
-----------------
1) lib64edata-cal%[edatacalmajor}-3.3.1.1-1mga2.x86_64

2) lib64edata-cal14-3.3.1.1-2.mga2.x86_64
-----------------

The GUI provides a button "Information" but there is nothing available. Of course you can open rpmdrake to see a description of the package but most times the descriptions of the packages in question are identical (see description of the example packages).

Question:
How could a user make a decision like that when he does not get anything to build this decision on?

What is needed is
 - either a more detailed description which shows the difference or
 - one button which leads to a description of the difference or
 - something in the description like "If you are unsure use (1)"

This problem has been biting me for quite some time because it was present in Mandriva and is present in Mageia 1 as well.

Hopefully I used the correct component (the bug does not match any of the given components)

[Jeff Johnson (n3npq)]

tracked at https://bugs.launchpad.net/rpm/+bug/913199

[herrold (herrold)]

the issue hereis a build system error ...%[edatacalmajor} ... was undefined, was it not?

[Molch-b (molch-b)]

I don't think so because this issue has been around for years in Mandrake, Mandriva and now Mageia. Of course I don't know about the technical background, so it could be that all of them had/have the same error :)

[Jeff Johnson (n3npq)]

(aside)
The reason for the tracking != the original problem.
There's a need to map more information into synthesis/hdlists
used by URPMI related to "How could a user ..." question

[Marja11 (marja11)]

Hi,

This bug was filed against cauldron, but we do not have cauldron at the moment.

Please report whether this bug is still valid for Mageia 2.

Thanks :)

Cheers,
marja

[Lewyssmith (lewyssmith)]

This bug is very old (2011) & very long neglected (2012).
The point is valid, and I think applies for package installation as well. I am always baffled by the choice offered, and half suspect that bare <Enter> takes the first one. Given this detail: "Of course you can open rpmdrake to see a description of the package but most times the descriptions of the packages in question are identical", it is difficult to suggest what more we can do - it defies easy description.
Can we close this as 'old'?

[Sturm-fr (sturm-fr)]

No reactions since 3 years after Lewis called for it.

Closing OLD. Feel free to reopen if necessary.