work_out_debs () {
    LIBC6=libc6
    if [ "$ARCH" = "alpha" -o "$ARCH" = "ia64" ]; then LIBC6="libc6.1"; fi

    required="$(get_debs Priority: required)"

    if doing_variant -; then 
      #required="$required $(get_debs Priority: important)"
      #  ^^ should be getting debconf here somehow maybe
      base="$(get_debs Priority: important)"
    elif doing_variant buildd; then
      base="$(get_debs Build-Essential: yes)"
    elif doing_variant fakechroot; then
      base="apt"
    fi
}