Bypassing Dependency Errors with Dummy Packages

May 19, 2025 2 minute read

Fixing Missing or Renamed Dependencies When Installing .deb Packages on Kali Linux

While installing minecraft .deb packages on Kali Linux (or other Debian-based distros), i encounter this dependency errors like:

Unsatisfied dependencies:
 minecraft-launcher : Depends: libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 (>= 2.22.0) but it is not installable
Error: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
Error: The following information from --solver 3.0 may provide additional context:
   Unable to satisfy dependencies. Reached two conflicting decisions:
   1. minecraft-launcher:amd64=2.1.3 is selected for install
   2. minecraft-launcher:amd64 Depends libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 (>= 2.22.0)
      but none of the choices are installable:
      [no choices]

This usually happens because:

The .deb was built for an older Debian-based distro version.
Some library package names have changed or been replaced in newer Kali/Debian releases.
System actually has the library, but under a different package name. For example installer needs the version libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 but your system have libgdk-pixbuf-2.0-0

Why Does This Happen?

Package maintainers sometimes rename libraries as they evolve. For example:

The package libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 might have been renamed to libgdk-pixbuf-2.0-0 in newer distros.
The .deb file (minecraft) still demands the old package name, so apt refuses to install.

But the package is already installed in my machine with different name:

Sometimes `apt install ./package.deb` Fails, But `dpkg -i ./package.deb` Works

apt performs strict dependency checks and will refuse to install the package if dependencies can’t be met.
dpkg just installs the package without resolving dependencies, so it succeeds but leaves broken dependencies.
You can then run sudo apt --fix-broken install to fix what’s missing — but if the exact package name doesn’t exist, this often fails or removes the package.

The Clean Workaround: Using a Dummy Package with `equivs`

You can create a dummy package to fake the missing dependency, telling apt it’s installed — while your system already has the real functionality under a differently named package.

Step-by-step:

Install equivs:

sudo apt install equivs

Create a working directory and control file:

mkdir ~/dummy-pkg && cd  ~/dummpy-pkg
equivs-control missing-lib-name

Edit missing-lib-name with your favorite editor (e.g. vim), replacing the contect with:

Section: misc
Priority: optional
Standards-Version: 3.9.2

Package: missing-lib-name
Version: 1.0 // insert the version No. that is missing
Provides: missing-lib-name
Description: Dummy package to satisfy missing dependency
  This is a dummy package. The actual functionality is provided by a different package.

Build and install the dummy package:

equivs-build missing-lib-name
sudo apt install ./missing-lib-name_1.0_all.deb

Why this works: A simple Analogy

Imagine Minecraft is a guest who insists they won’t come to the party unless “DJ Mike” is there. But you already have “DJ Michael” playing — they’re the same person, just a different name.

So you throw a cardboard cutout labeled “DJ Mike” in the corner.

Now Minecraft walks in and says: “Oh cool, DJ Mike’s here. Let’s party.”

Wrapping Up

This tricks lets you bypass pacakge naming mismatches and get legacy or third-party .deb files working on Debian based linux distros.

NOTE: Only use dummpy package when you are confident the real func exists on your system under another package.

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