Elena Stepanova added a comment - 2013-02-21 03:20 It turns out that syscp that we briefly discussed on IRC was a stumbling block here. Here is what you had: apt-get --dry-run install mariadb-server mariadb-client-core-5.5 ... The following extra packages will be installed: libaio1 libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client-5.5 mariadb-common mariadb-server-5.5 mariadb-server-core-5.5 Suggested packages: tinyca mariadb-test The following packages will be REMOVED: mysql-client mysql-client-5.0 mysql-server mysql-server-5.0 syscp The following NEW packages will be installed: libaio1 libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client-5.5 mariadb-client-core-5.5 mariadb-common mariadb-server mariadb-server-5.5 mariadb-server-core-5.5 0 upgraded, 9 newly installed, 5 to remove and 85 not upgraded. apt-get install mariadb-server ... The following packages have unmet dependencies: mariadb-server: Depends: mariadb-server-5.5 but it is not going to be installed E: Broken packages apt-get install mariadb-server-5.5 ... The following packages have unmet dependencies: mariadb-server-5.5: Depends: mariadb-client-5.5 (>= 5.5.29-mariadb1~lenny) but it is not going to be installed E: Broken packages apt-get install mariadb-client-5.5 ... The following packages have unmet dependencies: mariadb-client-5.5: Depends: mariadb-client-core-5.5 (>= 5.5.29-mariadb1~lenny) but it is not going to be installed E: Broken packages apt-get install mariadb-client-core-5.5 ... The following extra packages will be installed: libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-common The following packages will be REMOVED: mysql-client mysql-client-5.0 mysql-server mysql-server-5.0 syscp The following NEW packages will be installed: libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client-core-5.5 mariadb-common 0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 5 to remove and 85 not upgraded. Need to get 2584kB of archives. After this operation, 98.0MB disk space will be freed. I couldn't find syscp as it seems abandoned, but I installed froxlor which is a replacement, and got the same exact problem. It depends on mysql-client and mysql-server, and while it's installed, neither mariadb-server nor mariadb-client alone can be installed. Together, they work all right: $ sudo apt-get install --dry-run mariadb-server ... The following packages have unmet dependencies: mariadb-server: Depends: mariadb-server-5.5 but it is not going to be installed E: Broken packages $ sudo apt-get install --dry-run mariadb-client ... The following packages have unmet dependencies: mariadb-client: Depends: mariadb-client-5.5 but it is not going to be installed E: Broken packages $ sudo apt-get install --dry-run mariadb-server mariadb-client ... The following extra packages will be installed: libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client-5.5 mariadb-client-core-5.5 mariadb-common mariadb-server-5.5 mariadb-server-core-5.5 Suggested packages: tinyca mariadb-test The following packages will be REMOVED: froxlor mysql-client mysql-client-5.0 mysql-server mysql-server-5.0 The following NEW packages will be installed: libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client mariadb-client-5.5 mariadb-client-core-5.5 mariadb-common mariadb-server mariadb-server-5.5 mariadb-server-core-5.5 0 upgraded, 9 newly installed, 5 to remove and 1 not upgraded. ... As soon as I remove froxlor, everything works again: $ sudo apt-get purge froxlor ... The following packages will be REMOVED: froxlor* 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 1 not upgraded. ... (Reading database ... 100994 files and directories currently installed.) Removing froxlor ... $ sudo apt-get install --dry-run mariadb-client ... The following extra packages will be installed: libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client-5.5 mariadb-client-core-5.5 mariadb-common The following packages will be REMOVED: mysql-client mysql-client-5.0 mysql-server mysql-server-5.0 The following NEW packages will be installed: libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client mariadb-client-5.5 mariadb-client-core-5.5 mariadb-common 0 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 4 to remove and 1 not upgraded. ... $ sudo apt-get install --dry-run mariadb-server ... The following extra packages will be installed: libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client-5.5 mariadb-client-core-5.5 mariadb-common mariadb-server-5.5 mariadb-server-core-5.5 Suggested packages: tinyca mariadb-test The following packages will be REMOVED: mysql-client mysql-client-5.0 mysql-server mysql-server-5.0 The following NEW packages will be installed: libmariadbclient18 libmysqlclient18 mariadb-client-5.5 mariadb-client-core-5.5 mariadb-common mariadb-server mariadb-server-5.5 mariadb-server-core-5.5 0 upgraded, 8 newly installed, 4 to remove and 1 not upgraded. Froxlor (and I presume its predecessor syscp) depends both on mysql-server and mysql-client: $ apt-cache show froxlor Package: froxlor Status: install ok installed Priority: extra Section: admin Installed-Size: 13148 Maintainer: Froxlor Release Team <release@froxlor.org> Architecture: all Version: 0.9.27-1+lenny1 Replaces: syscp Depends: apache2 | lighttpd | nginx, php5, php5-cli, php5-mysql, mysql-server, mysql-client, mysql-common, webalizer | awstats, wwwconfig-common Recommends: postfix-mysql | exim4-daemon-heavy, libsasl2-modules-sql, maildrop, courier-authlib-mysql | dovecot-common, courier-imap | dovecot-imapd, courier-pop | dovecot-pop3d, php5-gd, php5-suhosin, php5-imap, proftpd-mod-mysql | pure-ftpd-mysql, bind9 Conflicts: syscp Description: Server Management Panel Froxlor, the Server Management Panel is a server administration tool which enables an internet service provider to give their customers a web-based application to administrate their email addresses, their subdomains etc. Homepage: http://www.froxlor.org So, my guess is when we only install mariadb-server or mariadb-client, the recursive dependencies/replacements stop somewhere on the way, apt-get fails to digest the complete chain. I don't know if it's supposed to work this way or whether it can be fixed, so I'm passing it to Sergei who will hopefully give his authoritative opinion.