routine debian upgrades, a few questions

[Charles Hallenbeck]

I have a couple of questions someone may be able to answer for me. I am 
using Debian sid (unstable) and do regular upgrades several times a 
week, and some terms appear that I do not understand during that 
process.

1. Early in the "apt-get upgrade" process, it sometimes shows me 
packages that are "kept back" and are therefore not upgraded. Why are 
these kept back? I did not explicitly ask for them to be kept back.

2. Maybe this only occurs when installing a new package rather than 
during upgrades, but sometimes when doing an "apt-get install" for a 
package, it first shows me "extra packages" that will be installed. That 
one I understand. But then it may show me "Suggested packages" and 
Recommended packages" which I might consider also installing. What are 
these last two? suggested and recommended? For a while I followed up 
each install with additional installs of both the suggested and 
recommended packages, which of course led to other suggested and 
recommended packages, and I am sure I could easily have done without 
most of that stuff. Which are more important, the suggested list or the 
recommended list?

These seem to be policy questions which I have not found discussed in 
the docs I have read. Advice appreciated, including advice about what 
FM's to R.

Chuck


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