Use > Server patching > Patch management for Ubuntu > Ubuntu patch management tasks > Package dependencies and supersedence

Package dependencies and supersedence

Package metadata identifies all known dependency and supersedence relationships between packages and Ubuntu products, and between packages and other packages.

In HPE Server Automation:

  • Dependency relationships identify Ubuntu products that must already exist on a server before you can install a certain package.
  • Supersedence relationships identify packages that supersede or are superseded by other packages. In Ubuntu Patch Management, supersedes means that one package replaces another and superseded by means that the package you are installing is replaced by another package.

Note
In HPE Server Automation, Ubuntu patch management does not detect whether two packages are mutually exclusive—which is when either one can be installed but not both. Subsequently, Patch Management does not prevent you from installing both packages on a server. This means that you may be able to install both a superseded package and a superseding package on a server if both packages are recommended by an Ubuntu server.