What is the easiest way to create a virtual package in debian?

Question

1. What is the easiest way to create a "virtual package" in debian?

   My problem: I have compiled/installed mysql from source and now need to tell other packages that mysql is already installed (otherwise they will also try to install mysql...). I searched the internet but did not find a quick answer to this question.

2. And is there an easy command to tell aptitude to install something, but exclude a specific required library/dependency (like mysql). This would be another way to solve the problem.

Answer 1

Install and use the debian package named equivs.

... Another use is to circumvent dependency checking: by letting dpkg think a particular package name and version is installed when it isn't

man equivs-build

Answer 2

Look up checkinstall; after building from source, it creates .deb packages that can be installed via dpkg, thereby creating an entry in the APT database.

Answer 3

If equivs cant help due conflicts.

For example viber.deb requires libcurl3, but OS have libcurl4. Cant install virtual libcurl3 because of libcurl4 conflict on it.

Use force like dpkg -i --force-dependency viber.deb.

Then edit /var/lib/dpkg/status and fix Depends: line at Package: viber section.