- **APT::Solver**: the name of the solver to be used for
dependency solving. Defaults to `internal`
+- **Dir::Bin::Solvers**: absolute path of the directory where to look for
+ external solvers. Defaults to `/usr/lib/apt/solvers`.
+
- **APT::Solver::Strict-Pinning**: whether pinning must be strictly
respected (as the internal solver does) or can be slightly deviated
from. Defaults to `yes`.
-- **APT::Solver::NAME::Preferences** (where NAME is a solver name):
- solver-specific user preference string used during dependency solving,
- when the solver NAME is in use. Check solver-specific documentation
- for what is supported here. Defaults to the empty string.
+- **APT::Solver::Preferences**: user preference string used during
+ dependency solving by the requested solver. Check the documentation
+ of the solver you are using if and what is supported as a value here.
+ Defaults to the empty string.
-- **Dir::Bin::Solvers**: absolute path of the directory where to look for
- external solvers. Defaults to `/usr/lib/apt/solvers`.
+The options **Strict-Pinning** and **Preferences** can also be set for
+a specific solver only via **APT::Solver::NAME::Strict-Pinning** and
+**APT::Solver::NAME::Preferences** respectively where `NAME` is the name
+of the external solver this option should apply to. These options if set
+override the generic options; for simplicity the documentation will
+refer only to the generic options.
## Protocol
field comes from the `APT::Solver::Strict-Pinning` configuration
option.
-- **Preferences:** a solver-specific optimization string, usually coming
- from the `APT::Solver::Preferences` configuration option.
+- **Solver:** (optional, defaults to the empty string) a purely
+ informational string specifying to which solver this request was send
+ initially.
+
+- **Preferences:** (optional, defaults to the empty string)
+ a solver-specific optimization string, usually coming from the
+ `APT::Solver::Preferences` configuration option.
#### Package universe
Release file entry (Origin, Label, Codename, etc.) in the format of
APT_PREFERENCES(5).
+- **Source:** (optional) The name of the source package the binary
+ package this record is for was built from.
+ This field does NOT include the version of the source package unlike
+ the Source field in the dpkg database. The version is optionally
+ available in the **Source-Version:** field.
+
### Answer