Synaptic is a major improvement over the original apt tools -- while it's slower, it actually handles dependencies correctly most of the time, and doesn't throw

Synaptic is a major improvement over the original apt tools -- while it's slower, it actually handles dependencies correctly most of the time, and doesn't throw anal-retentive errors. Unfortunately, the underlying apt system has plenty of shitty behaviors that aren't even related to Debian's shitty packaging policies or the hostile original implementation: * Only one process can even read the db at a time! * It's extraordinarily fragile * Loves to crap out at the slightest network failure * Will corrupt its database on SIGINT * Hamhandedly muddles up installation and configuration * Does not handle optional dependencies well * Poorly handles only part of the 'alternatives' problem A lot of its failings are rooted in the assumption that installation will be fast enough to be interactive, so why bother?