Debian package: please add "Provides: virtualbox-source" to debian/control

[blueyed]

There's a problem if you do the following:

1. Install virtualbox-2.2, this will install a symlink: /usr/src/vboxdrv-2.2.2 -> ../share/virtualbox/src/vboxdrv
2. Install virtualbox-ose-source
3. Remove virtualbox-2.2, e.g. by installing virtualbox-ose

This leads to the following: In 2. virtualbox-ose-source appears to install its files into the symlink's target. In 3. /usr/src/share/virtualbox/src/vboxdrv gets removed and a dangling symlink is left behind

I've tried to workaround this using "Conflicts", but (for some reason to clarify) we provide those names (virtualbox, virtualbox-2.0, virtualbox-2.1, virtualbox-2.2) ourselves.

The solution to this problems appears to be if you would add "Provides: virtualbox-source" to your packages (after all, they provide/ship it), since the packages in Debian/Ubuntu already conflict/replace/provide "virtualbox-source".

See ​https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/virtualbox-ose/+bug/379878 for the bug in Launchpad.

Keep in mind that this might be wrong of course, so maybe wait if there's any negative feedback from the Debian maintainers.

[aeichner]

Please reopen if still relevant with a recent VirtualBox release.