David, I tried using your example source.list, but it didn't solve my problem.

What I'm trying to achieve:
Eventually, I want to remove/install/update .debs to remaster a customized CD. But before I put a lot of effort to customize the system, I simply want to ensure my package inventory is without conflicts, so I can start with a known-good baseline.

So I'm starting with a pristine unpack of the compressed filesystem, and a minimal sources.list, which I do a apt-get update; apt-get dist-upgrade. It is obviously expected that many packages will be upgraded; my concern is the conflict about mount-aes.

From the responses above, I'm going on the assuption my sources.list wasnt minimal enough, so I've reduced it to simply:

Code:
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian unstable main contrib non-free
However, when I apt-get dist-upgrade, I still get:

WARNING: The following essential packages will be removed
This should NOT be done unless you know exactly what you are doing!
mount-aes
I find that warning unsettling and unexpected for what should be a relatively benign operation. The issue is that the dist-upgrade is trying to install mount.deb, but that conflicts with already-installed mount-aes.deb; apt is deciding that one of them must go, but it says I must type "Yes, do as I say!" Why the conflict and the dire warning?

So what is the right/best way to fix the conflict that's trying to remove mount-aes? Is my sources.list missing the repository that provides mount-aes.deb? (I did have non-us repositories, but that didn't help) Or should I just let the mount.deb replace mount-aes, and not worry about it?

TIA