13

Sometimes "apt-get install" asks me "Do you want to continue [Y/n]?":

root@T43:~# apt-get install chmsee
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
  libchm1
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  chmsee libchm1
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 192 kB of archives.
After this operation, 848 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

Am I correct that this happens only if "The following NEW packages will be installed:" line has other packages(probably dependencies) listed than the one(s) I specified as an argument to "apt-get install"?

Martin
  • 7,516

1 Answers1

13

From this Super User answer, the Do you want to continue? prompt appears when:

  • Extra packages (besides those you asked to install - e.g. dependencies) will be installed
  • Essential packages are to be removed. Essential here is defined as the minimal set of functionality that must be available and usable on the system at all times, even when packages are in an unconfigured (but unpacked) state. Packages are tagged essential for a system using the Essential control field.
  • Changing a held package

If you want apt-get to automatically say yes (not a very good idea unless you have a very specific reason), you can use --yes --force-yes parameter.

Community
  • 1
Renan
  • 17,136
  • 4
    However I don't recommend --force-yes unless you a) didn't need to ask this question in the first place or b) want a broken system on your hands. – bahamat Mar 31 '13 at 05:23