Apt-pbo: solving the software dependency problem using pseudo-boolean optimization

Abstract

The installation of software packages depends on the correct resolution of dependencies and conflicts between packages. This problem is NP-complete and, as expected, is a hard task. Moreover, today's technology still does not address this problem in an acceptable way. This paper introduces a new approach to solving the software dependency problem in a Linux environment, devising a way for solving dependencies according to available packages and user preferences. This work introduces the "apt-pbo" tool, the first publicly available tool that solves dependencies in a complete and optimal way.