Cancel debian package installation inside preinst script -

i cancel installation of .deb package if check fails in preinst script.

my preinst script:

#!/bin/sh # stop if error set -e  assertexists(){     # $1 file     if [ -e "$1" ]             echo "file existence checked for: $1"     else         echo "error, file not exist: $1"         exit 1     fi } assertexists "$javapath/bin/java" 

when run:

dpkg -i my.deb 

i see error package appears installed when run:

dpkg --get-selections 

is there way cancel installation inside preinst ?

i recall there dpkg switch disable execution of preinst/postinst script ( check dpkg manpage), if started installation , broke ( happen ) , can't out of error loop, simplest way put

exit 0 

in /var/lib/dpkg/info/packagename.postinst ( or preinst respectively )

i believe installation must finish or unsuccessfully ( if 2nd package must purged hand ), there no "official" way of "cancel, remove_me()" in preinst/postint script. put dpkg --purge in script in case, guess won't do, due lock or whatever else, rather make no sense. note how apt-get multiple install/removal - first removes packages removed, , install remaining ones. can make

echo packagename purge | dpkg --set-selections  

and then

apt-get -f dselect-upgrade 

or

apt-get -f install 

but think not way it's supposed work.

you can hand

dpkg -i mypackage.deb || dpkg --purge mypackage  

generally, dependencies provide way of conditional installation or removal. might want create dummy dependance or dependent package, fail before or after installation , trigger dependency warning. such package listed within "autoremove" list.