apache is installed though another web server is already present

[DonQuichote]

Binary package hint: apache

The real problem is that there is no such thing as a general web server package. I run The Abyss web server (see http://www.aprelium.com/ ) and always take great care not to install packages that depend on Apache. This probably means that I cannot install packages that would run fine on this web server. Such packages often depend on apache|lighthttpd, which leaves no room for other web servers. And there are a lot of them around. It would be nice if there were an empty package "web server" that you could install to satisfy dependencies.

Also, the upgrade to Intrepid Ibex alas installed apache on my system for no reason. There were no dependencies that needed it. My guess it that this can be blamed on the "install recommendations by default" policy change. In this case, that policy leads to two web servers fighting each other. Please rethink that policy. Off course, this problem is linked to the absence of the general web server package, as there is no way yet for the package manager to know that I already have a working web server.

1 Release of Ubuntu:
Description: Ubuntu 8.10
Release: 8.10
2 Version of the package:
none. I do not want it.
3 What I expect:
being able to tell the package manager that I have a generic, further unknown web server. Not getting an extra web server on a distribution upgrade.
4 What happend instead:
I got apache with the upgrade to Intrepid Ibex while I already had another web server running.

[Daniel Hollocher (chogydan)]

Are you installing this webserver with a debian style package? or, are you installing it manually?

[DonQuichote (xubuntu-w-p)]

I am installing it manually. There is no .deb file available as far as I know.

[Daniel Hollocher (chogydan)]

well, then this is probably a question, not a bug. Even if there were a meta package like the one you are requesting, you would still need a .deb to fulfill the meta package's dependency. Thus, you would run into the same problem.

I think you need to figure out a way to force some dependencies. Maybe you could create an empty debian package. I dunno, I'm barely familiar with such things.