If you try to dist-upgrade and have packages to be removed, it could be because of:
https://release.debian.org/transitions/html/python3.14-default.html
Be careful and keep on siductioning.
As Python is a major part of many packages it may well take time before they all are rebuilt against the new Python release so it's wise to be patient as well.
Nothing to be removed yet but many being held back. Give it a few days to catch up.
For me, the current Python 3.14.6 transition in sid is preventing
- borgbackup
- obs-studio and
- picard
from being upgraded.
apt keeps these packages back because they still depend on python3 (< 3.14).
Example:
$ apt show borgbackup | grep Depends
Depends: python3 (<< 3.14), python3 (>= 3.13~), ...
So this appears to be a temporary issue during the Python 3.14 transition in unstable, and apt is behaving correctly by not removing these packages.
The transition brings some minor problems with it. Solaar is updated, but depends on some python packages which are held back, so it refuses to start.
I as well lost temporarily my keyboard. Even though I'm not sure if the transition is the culprit. I think it was a problem caused by Solaar not able to run. I had to delete my keyboard config files and it worked again after that.
Quote from: pit on 2026/06/28, 12:31:52For me, the current Python 3.14.6 transition in sid is preventing
- borgbackup
- obs-studio and
- picard
from being upgraded.
apt keeps these packages back because they still depend on python3 (< 3.14).
Example:
$ apt show borgbackup | grep Depends
Depends: python3 (<< 3.14), python3 (>= 3.13~), ...
So this appears to be a temporary issue during the Python 3.14 transition in unstable, and apt is behaving correctly by not removing these packages.
These packages (and others too) are also being held back on my system ... including 'libreoffice', amongst others.
I then ran:
doas apt update && doas apt install libreoffice... and all the held-back packages were then installed.
----------------------------
Bei mir werden diese Pakete (und auch andere) ebenfalls zurückgehalten ... unter anderem auch 'libreoffice'.
Ich habe dann ein:
doas apt update && doas apt install libreoffice... durchgeführt und alle zurückgehaltenen Pakete wurden dann installiert.
If I try to install libreoffice the system want to remove some packages:
ENTFERNE:
python3-lib2to3 virtualbox virtualbox-ext-pack virtualbox-qt
So I think it is better to wait some days
These two are OK to install now:
don@cville:~$ sudo apt policy libreoffice
libreoffice:
Installed: 4:26.2.4.2-2
Candidate: 4:26.2.4.2-2
Version table:
*** 4:26.2.4.2-2 500
500 https://deb.debian.org/debian unstable/main amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
don@cville:~$ sudo apt policy python3
python3:
Installed: 3.14.6-1
Candidate: 3.14.6-1
Version table:
*** 3.14.6-1 500
500 https://deb.debian.org/debian unstable/main amd64 Packages
But vbox is still a problem:
don@cville:~$ sudo apt -s install virtualbox virtualbox-qt
Solving dependencies... Error!
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:
Unsatisfied dependencies:
virtualbox : Depends: virtualbox-dkms (>= 7.2.8-dfsg-1) but it is not going to be installed or
virtualbox-source (>= 7.2.8-dfsg-1) but it is not going to be installed or
virtualbox-modules
Depends: python3 (< 3.14) but 3.14.6-1 is to be installed
Depends: libgsoap-2.8.139 (>= 2.8.139) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: liblzf1 (>= 1.5) but it is not going to be installed
virtualbox-qt : Depends: libqt6help6 (>= 6.6.0) but it is not going to be installed
Depends: libqt6statemachine6 (>= 6.6.1) but it is not going to be installed
Error: Unable to satisfy dependencies. Reached two conflicting assignments:
1. virtualbox:amd64=7.2.8-dfsg-1 is selected for install
2. virtualbox:amd64 Depends python3 (< 3.14)
but none of the choices are installable:
[no choices]
@harley-peter
> python3-lib2to3 virtualbox virtualbox-ext-pack virtualbox-qt
python2-lib2to3:
What do you need it for? Last version is for bookworm python3.11,
no longer part of Debian sid.
virtualbox &Co.:
You can trick the package manager into thinking you have a newer version, like so
(Debian virtualbox version 7.2.8-dfsg-1 is perfectly fine with python3.14, the Debian
maintainers are only overly accurate). Look for the following lines in /var/lib/dpkg/status
(after backup):
Package: virtualbox
Status: install ok installed
Priority: optional
Section: contrib/misc
Installed-Size: 151566
Maintainer: Debian Virtualbox Team <team+debian-virtualbox@tracker.debian.org>
Architecture: amd64
Version: 7.2.8-dfsg-1
--
Package: virtualbox-qt
Status: install ok installed
Priority: optional
Section: contrib/misc
Installed-Size: 54592
Maintainer: Debian Virtualbox Team <team+debian-virtualbox@tracker.debian.org>
Architecture: amd64
Source: virtualbox
Version: 7.2.8-dfsg-1
Replaces: virtualbox (<< 4.1.6-dfsg-2~)
Depends: virtualbox (= 7.2.8-dfsg-1), libc6 (>= 2.34), ,..
Simply replace all those lines (and only those, no other lines in file
/var/lib/dpkg/status) containing string "7.2.8-dfsg-1" by according
lines containing string "7.2.8-dfsg-1b" instead. Finally search for line
Depends: iproute2, procps, virtualbox-dkms (>= 7.2.8-dfsg-1) | virtualbox-source (>= 7.2.8-dfsg-1) | virtualbox-modules, systemd | systemd-standalone-sysusers | systemd-sysusers, python3 (<< 3.14), ...
and only replace string "python3 (<< 3.14)" by "python3 (<< 3.15)" in that line.
Now you are good to go for the transition. But if that's all too complicated, simply wait
for the official virtualbox update.
@teriarch:
I don't know for what the package python3-lib2to3 is necessary. If I understand you right I can uninstall the package.
For virtualbox there is no need to hurry, I can wait some days. Thanks!
@harley-peter
> I don't know for what the package python3-lib2to3 is necessary.
> If I understand you right I can uninstall the package.
It once was needed for the transition python2 -> python3, IIRC.
So it's outdated by years. Try a:
$ sudo apt-get -s remove python3-lib2to3
and see, what gives. If nothing else accompanies its exit, get rid of
it right now.
> For virtualbox there is no need to hurry, I can wait some days. Thanks!
That's a wise decision. The suggestion was not for the faint of heart.
If you mess with the package manager the wrong way, you break your system;
no questions asked.
And for the rest of the flock: "You have been warned!"
The little "hack" editing the virtualbox entry in /var/lib/dpkg/status works for me to allow the dist-upgrade to go through. Verified that VBox still starts properly and that VMs still also launch. Thanks @Teriarch for this trick and it is very useful for situations like this and of course ensure that the package in question still works after upgrades of Python for example.
Hi all!
Is Python 3.14 transition finished or not?
sudo apt full-upgrade
still holds 41 files from upgrade including libreoffice files.
How long shall we wait?
@alexsid
> Is Python 3.14 transition finished or not?
As far as the python3 version 3.14.6-1 suite of Debian is concerned,
the answer is yes, all dust and done.
If you still have problems updating, you have packages installed still
depending on python3 version 3.13.x-y. First of all you should identify
them, so an output of
$ sudo apt-get install python3
might be helpful. If virtualbox is holding back the transit, you either
wait for an update of virtualbox or follow the instructions from above.
In any case: It's not python's fault, when developers react late (esp.
virtualbox Debian developers) when they are informed months before the transit
takes place (esp. when the corrections are so easy, they hardly pose a one week's
challenge to undergraduate students of computer science).
Quote from: alexsid on 2026/07/18, 22:33:21Hi all!
Is Python 3.14 transition finished or not?
sudo apt full-upgrade
still holds 41 files from upgrade including libreoffice files.
How long shall we wait?
It was similar for me.
I then ran
apt install libreoffice and everything went smoothly.
-------------
Das war bei mir ähnlich.
Ich habe dann ein
apt install libreoffice durchgeführt und alles lief gut durch.
Quote from: Teriarch on 2026/07/19, 00:40:15@alexsid
> Is Python 3.14 transition finished or not?
As far as the python3 version 3.14.6-1 suite of Debian is concerned,
the answer is yes, all dust and done.
If you still have problems updating, you have packages installed still
depending on python3 version 3.13.x-y. First of all you should identify
them, so an output of
$ sudo apt-get install python3
might be helpful. If virtualbox is holding back the transit, you either
wait for an update of virtualbox or follow the instructions from above.
In any case: It's not python's fault, when developers react late (esp.
virtualbox Debian developers) when they are informed months before the transit
takes place (esp. when the corrections are so easy, they hardly pose a one week's
challenge to undergraduate students of computer science).
THANK YOU
I did
sudo apt-get install python3
and it automatically updated LibreOffice files.
I still have 4 packages on hold. They are as follows:
libavcodec61 libavutil59 libswresample5 policycoreutils-dbus
What shall I do?
Well, I don't use Virtualbox (at least I don't know Iuse it :-) )
@alexsid
Wenn apt -s remove libavcodec61 keine Probleme ausspuckt, so kannst du es problemlos entfernen. War bei mir problemlos und hat keine Anwendungen ins Nirwana befördert.
libavutil59 konnte ich problemlos installieren. Gibt es da eventuell noch Abhängigkeiten, die das bei dir verhindern?
If apt -s remove libavcodec61 doesn't throw any errors, then you can remove it without any issues. It worked fine for me and didn't break any applications.
I was able to install libavutil59 without any problems. Are there perhaps still some dependencies preventing you from doing so?
~$ apt policy libavutil59
libavutil59:
Installiert: 7:7.1.5-0+deb13u1
Installationskandidat: 7:7.1.5-0+deb13u1
Versionstabelle:
*** 7:7.1.5-0+deb13u1 500
500 https://deb.debian.org/debian unstable/main amd64 Packages
500 http://debian.superhosting.cz/debian sid/main amd64 Packages
500 http://debian.dynamica.it/debian sid/main amd64 Packages
500 http://ftp.debian.sk/debian sid/main amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
Mit apt -s install libavutil59 einmal die Probleme aufspüren.
Gleiches sollte bei libswresample5 der Fall sein.
Try running apt -s install libavutil59 to troubleshoot the issues.
The same should apply to libswresample5.
~$ apt policy libswresample5
libswresample5:
Installiert: 7:7.1.5-0+deb13u1
Installationskandidat: 7:7.1.5-0+deb13u1
Versionstabelle:
*** 7:7.1.5-0+deb13u1 500
500 https://deb.debian.org/debian unstable/main amd64 Packages
500 http://debian.superhosting.cz/debian sid/main amd64 Packages
500 http://debian.dynamica.it/debian sid/main amd64 Packages
500 http://ftp.debian.sk/debian sid/main amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
policycoreutils-dbus Warten oder entfernen, falls du darauf verzichten willst oder kannst.
Wait, or remove it if you want to or are able to.
edlin
edlin (https://forum.siduction.org/index.php?action=profile;u=30422)
Thank you!
I did as you told, all worked well.
I will wait for a while for policycoreutils-dbus to be fixed.
Python: Bei mir wartet das Upgrade von 'policycoreutils-dbus' immer noch auf seine Abhängigkeit 'policycoreutils-python-utils'.
Quote from: ro_sid on 2026/07/19, 15:12:28Python: Bei mir wartet das Upgrade von 'policycoreutils-dbus' immer noch auf seine Abhängigkeit 'policycoreutils-python-utils'.
Bei mir auch, d.h. wir noch zurückgehalten.
graviton