linux sucks!!! dependency hell!!!

[arcanex]

Well, now that I've got your attention, I could use some help over here.

I'm running a knoppix/debian distro installed on the hard drive for a few months now. I'm getting the hang of it.

But recently I updated my apt repository database thingy (apt-get update), the first time I've done so since I first installed it. Halfway through it crashed, something about out of mmap thing, but googling brought me to a fix (increasing a cache in apt.conf). So I'm back to trying to download some stuff I need to update mplayer, in order to install mplayer-plugin for firefox...

but now, whenever I try to download almost any new package, it asks me to REMOVE a slew of packages that doesn't sound to me like they should be removed... in particular, 'sysvinit' stood out.

Sysvinit! that's, like, required to boot isn't it?

I've since found a package (mozplugger) that I was able to install without having to remove any other packages... but I try some of the libs that I would have to download if I wanted to compile stuff myself and they keep asking me to remove those slew of important and even
'essential' packages.

Did I mess up apt somehow? How can I fix it? I won't be able to keep using linux if I have to put up with this everytime I need a new package...

 

[ZenPirate]

apt-get update
apt-get -f install

start with that.

 

[phatcat]

apt-get is your friend.

 

[arcanex]

tried 'apt-get -f install' , but it didn't find any broken dependencies.

apt-get still wants to remove sysvinit.

is it possible to let apt-get do what it wants to do...?

 

[draconx]

if its been months since you last did an update, try doing an "apt-get dist-upgrade" before installing anything new. That will upgrade everything to the latest versions.