[kwlug-disc] dumb debian question: install local package, get deps from net?

[Eric Gerlach]

On Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 11:27:19AM -0400, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
>   possibly the first in a series of silly debian questions since i've  
> never been a heavy debian user but am about to start.
>
>   i have a local .deb file, which has uninstalled dependencies.  i would 
> like the variation of
>
>   # dpkg -i blah.deb
>
> that would install that local file, but wander off to the net for any  
> deps.  i've tried a number of dpkg and apt-get variations, but haven't  
> found the right one.

You'd think that would be one command, but as far as I know you'd be
wrong.

The way I usually do it is try to run the command you have described
above, which fails.  Then I run:

  # aptitude install blah

Which then will go out, grab the deps, and install them as well as
finishing the install of the original package.  You may substitute
apt-get for aptitude if you don't like aptitude's awesomeness :-)

Apparently gdebi will also do this for you, and it can be run from the
command-line, despite its GNOME-sounding name.

Cheers,

Eric