apt-get dist-upgrade problem, please help.

[Gimpy]

I had Debian 2.1 on a CD and installed that. then did an apt-get update, apt-get install apt then an apt-get dist-upgrade. After downloading for about 20 hours the phone line went dead. Then I did another apt-get update, apt-get install apt, and then apt-get dist-upgrade. Then I got the error below.
Do I need to do the Force LoopBreak option? and if so, how do you do it?
Also, could I apt-get --purge libpam0g and then apt-get install libpam0g afterwards?

The following packages will be REMOVED:
lesstifg libmd5-perl libpam0g-util netstd newt0.25 perl ppp-pam w3mir xproc
The following NEW packages will be installed:
bootpc cfingerd debconf dpsclient esound esound-common finger fping
fte-xwindow ftp gettext-base gnome-bin gnome-libs-data icmpinfo itcl3.0
lesstif1 libart2 libaudiofile0 libbz2 libesd0 libgdk-pixbuf2 libglade-gnome0
libglade0 libgnome32 libgnomeprint-bin libgnomeprint-data libgnomeprint11
libgnomesupport0 libgnomeui32 libgnorba27 libgnorbagtk0 libgsm1 libguile6
libhtml-parser-perl liblockfile1 liblzo1 libnewt0 libnspr4
libopenldap-runtime libopenldap1 liborbit0 libpam-modules libpam-runtime
libpcre2 libpopt0 librecode0 librplay3 libsane liburi-perl libwrap0 libxml1
mc-common ntp ntpdate perl-5.004 perl-5.004-base perl-5.004-doc perl-5.005
perl-5.005-base pidentd rdate rdist rsh-client ruptime rusers rwall rwho
rwhod tcl8.2 tcpd tetex-lib tftp tix41 tk8.2 traceroute vflib2 xpilot-server
The following packages have been kept back
eterm kbd moonlight
450 packages upgraded, 77 newly installed, 9 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/210MB of archives. After unpacking 157MB will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
E: ThThe following packages will be REMOVED:
lesstifg libmd5-perl libpam0g-util netstd newt0.25 perl ppp-pam w3mir xproc
The following NEW packages will be installed:
bootpc cfingerd debconf dpsclient esound esound-common finger fping
fte-xwindow ftp gettext-base gnome-bin gnome-libs-data icmpinfo itcl3.0
lesstif1 libart2 libaudiofile0 libbz2 libesd0 libgdk-pixbuf2 libglade-gnome0
libglade0 libgnome32 libgnomeprint-bin libgnomeprint-data libgnomeprint11
libgnomesupport0 libgnomeui32 libgnorba27 libgnorbagtk0 libgsm1 libguile6
libhtml-parser-perl liblockfile1 liblzo1 libnewt0 libnspr4
libopenldap-runtime libopenldap1 liborbit0 libpam-modules libpam-runtime
libpcre2 libpopt0 librecode0 librplay3 libsane liburi-perl libwrap0 libxml1
mc-common ntp ntpdate perl-5.004 perl-5.004-base perl-5.004-doc perl-5.005
perl-5.005-base pidentd rdate rdist rsh-client ruptime rusers rwall rwho
rwhod tcl8.2 tcpd tetex-lib tftp tix41 tk8.2 traceroute vflib2 xpilot-server
The following packages have been kept back
eterm kbd moonlight
450 packages upgraded, 77 newly installed, 9 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/210MB of archives. After unpacking 157MB will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
E: This installation run will require temporarily removing the essential package libpam0g due to a Conflicts/Pre-Depends loop. This is often bad, but if you really want to do it, activate the APT::Force-LoopBreak option.
E: Internal Error, Could not early remove libpam0g
is installation run will require temporarily removing the essential package libpam0g due to a Conflicts/Pre-Depends loop. This is often bad, but if you really want to do it, activate the APT::Force-LoopBreak option.
E: Internal Error, Could not early remove libpam0g

Thanks for your help,
I really appreciate it.

[ColdPack]

That's a pain. What are you upgrading to? Woody or Sid?
I suppose I would try using the Force-Loopbreak option. I'm not sure how some of the nitty-gritties of this work.
Hopefully someone else will have a more substantive answer for you.

------------------
What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I
definitely overpaid for my carpet.
-- Woody Allen, "Without Feathers"