How to fix Depends: package-name (>= version) but version is to be installed in APT

First, refresh your package repository information to ensure apt has the latest available versions:

sudo apt update

This downloads the latest package lists from all configured repositories. Outdated metadata can cause apt to see incorrect version information.

Run the installation command again to see the exact version mismatch:

sudo apt-get install package-name

Note the exact version numbers mentioned in the error. This tells you which package is too old and what minimum version is required. You can also use apt-cache to inspect versions:

apt-cache policy problematic-package

This shows all available versions of the package and which one is installed.

A held package might be preventing apt from installing the required version:

sudo apt-mark showhold

If the package with the version mismatch appears in the held list, unhold it:

sudo apt-mark unhold package-name

Then retry the installation.

Check which repositories are enabled and their priorities:

grep -r "^deb" /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/

If you are mixing repositories from different Debian/Ubuntu releases (e.g., focal and jammy), this can cause version conflicts. Consider using repositories from the same release channel:

lsb_release -cs

Shows your current distribution release codename.

The conflicting package might be available in a newer version after a system upgrade:

sudo apt upgrade

If full upgrade suggests removing other packages, you can use:

sudo apt full-upgrade

This may upgrade other packages to compatible versions. Review what changes are proposed before confirming.

Search for the package with an acceptable version:

apt-cache search "^package-name$"
apt-cache depends package-name

You can also explicitly request a specific version:

sudo apt-get install package-name=version-number

Replace "version-number" with a version that meets the ">=" requirement shown in the error.

If apt cannot resolve the conflict, aptitude often finds solutions:

sudo aptitude install package-name

When aptitude encounters conflicts, it will prompt you with multiple solutions. You can also see why a package cannot be installed:

sudo aptitude why-not package-name

This shows the exact dependency chain causing the conflict.

If no compatible version exists in your repositories, you may need to remove the package requiring the higher version and find an alternative:

sudo apt remove package-requiring-higher-version

Then try installing your desired package. Alternatively, enable backports or a newer repository channel if available for your distribution.