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apt-listbugs usage

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ericc
Posts: 40
Joined: 2008-07-08 10:16

apt-listbugs usage

#1 Post by ericc »

Hello all

I'm using Debian Testing since quite some times. After several trouble and crash due to hazardous upgrade, and following advice of some peoples here, I installed apt-listbugs.
It's good, because when you make an upgrade of your system, it display know bugs for packages it will install. But I must say that I'm a little bit confused about the message and what to do !

Today, I tried to upgrade my system (apt-get dist-upgrade) and this is the message I have :
59 upgraded, 12 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/95.8 MB of archives.
After this operation, 127 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?
Reading package fields... Done
Reading package status... Done
Retrieving bug reports... Done
Parsing Found/Fixed information... Done
grave bugs of udev (166-1 -> 167-1) <marked as done in some version>
#621036 - udev should not assume that /run works just because it exists (Fixed: udev/167-2)
grave bugs of nfs-common (1:1.2.2-5 -> 1:1.2.3-2) <unfixed>
#619877 - rpc.mountd: svc_tli_create: could not bind to requested address
Summary:
nfs-common(1 bug), udev(1 bug)
Are you sure you want to install/upgrade the above packages? [Y/n/?/...]
What I'm supposed to do now ?
If I press "?" to have more information, the message is
y - continue the apt installation, but do not make the bugs ignored.
a - continue the apt installation and make all the above bugs ignored.
n - stop the apt installation.
<num> - query the specified bug number (requires reportbug).
#<num> - same as <num>
r - redisplay bug lists.
p <pkg..> - make pkgs pinned: need to restart apt to enable.
p - make all the above pkgs pinned: need to restart.
i <num> - make bug number <num> ignored.
? - print this help.
w - display bug lists in HTML (uses sensible-browser).
Are you sure you want to install/upgrade the above packages? [Y/n/?/...]
If I press "n", the installation is stopped ... and nothing is installed even packages without bug !
so questions :
If I press "Y", does it means that all packages will be installed but not those with the bug (this is what I want at the end)
If I press "p", the package will be "pinned" but I have some confusion about this term :
As far as I understood, it means that my current version of the buggy package will be kept, but what's happen if a new version without bug appear ?

I have searched on Google and read the man page, but didn't found clear answers to my questions

Thanks in advance for your help

ericc

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nadir
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#2 Post by nadir »

If at all i do it manually:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 27#p229200
i follow the bug, and as soon it is solved i unhold the package and install it.
I follow them means i go to: http://www.debian.org/Bugs/ and read whats going on.
I think, i will get a "package xxx hold" while i do my daily upgrades, so i got a reminder.
I think (!) the package apt-listchanges help with that. I think also that there is a option for aptitude (aptitude --changelog ? [1]).
As this happens very, very seldom for me, this is a bit vague. Hope this helps anyway.
(seen that way one can also wait a few hours or days, and hope that the bug will be solved during that time. Usually that is the case. I guess that is what i do).


[1] my google foo is amazing :D :
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 19#p279583
read also the other posts in that thread, especially the ones by bugsbunny. I think they give answers to what you ask too.
"I am not fine with it, so there is nothing for me to do but stand aside." M.D.

secipolla
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#3 Post by secipolla »

In this case what I understand it's saying is:
- udev is broken in the installation candidate version (167-1) but is fixed in the next one (not yet in testing). Why did they push the broken version to testing I have no idea but this one you must pin otherwise your system will be unusable.
- nfs-common is broken in some way too. If you don't need it you can remove it. Even if you install it it won't work properly but the rest of your system won't be affected.

You're asking if you pin them if they will be automatically unpinned when the not-buggy versions become available? I don't know because I have no experience with apt-listbugs.
If someone else don't answer here, then I suggest that you select 'p' and pin those packages. If you don't need nfs-common you can remove it. Then you check what will happen when udev 167-2 become available (or read the man page to try and find an answer).

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roseway
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#4 Post by roseway »

- udev is broken in the installation candidate version (167-1) but is fixed in the next one (not yet in testing). Why did they push the broken version to testing I have no idea but this one you must pin otherwise your system will be unusable.
That isn't actually true in this case. The bug which is listed against udev only manifests itself in combination with version 6.2 of base-files (which was in Sid but has been withdrawn because of this problem). The version of base-files in Testing is 6.1. You can safely upgrade udev in this instance.
Eric

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craigevil
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#5 Post by craigevil »

1) Check the actual bug reports
2) Check the aptosid forum
View Forum - Upgrade Warnings :: aptosid.com :: aptosid - Debian hot and spicy! : http://aptosid.com/index.php?name=PNphp ... 7bd8a294f8
3) Use smxi so things that are definitely broken and held
4) Do apt-get dist-upgrade -yd and see what is going to be upgraded/held/removed/installed

A lot of times the bugs are only for a certain architecture, or desktop, if neither one applies to my system I go ahead with d-u. Unless it says it will definitely break something or make the system unbootable I usually go ahead and upgrade.
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bugsbunny
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#6 Post by bugsbunny »

The best thing to do is to go a read the actual bug reports, and the associated threads. Those will often give you the answer as to what to do. In some cases you can safely install the package (as with udev in this instance). In other cases you may want to hold the package, or possibly pull a package from unstable which will resolve the issue.

As far as nfs-common goes, do you really need it in the first place? Are you using (or will be using) nfs? You may simply be able to remove nfs-common (nfs stands for network file system. See Network File System (protocol) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Linux NFS faq

(If you decide to remove nfs (I have) you can also probably remove portmap (or rpcbind)). You only need portmap (or rpcbind) if you're making RPC (remote procedure calls) (used by NFS and NIS, chances that you're using NIS nowadays are extremely slim)

Relevant bug entries in this case:
#621036 - udev should not assume that /run works just because it exists - Debian Bug report logs
#619877 - rpc.mountd: svc_tli_create: could not bind to requested address - Debian Bug report logs

ericc
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#7 Post by ericc »

I thanks you all for yours excellent answers
However, I'm a little bit confused as no one answer really to my question :oops:

I needed to know how apt-listbugs is working and which choice to make (see title of this thread)

The bug (messages from apt-listbugs) was just given as an example !
And yes, I know what is nfs and I really need it !
I use it to share a folder with my webserver to put my development files/

I think that the more interesting track is
aptitude forbid-version ~i~n"^nfs-"
from http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 19#p279576

but I don't use aptitude usually so I really wonder what this command do and if it applicable to apt-get.
correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that aptitude as dselect, use apt-get in the back-end to download and install package.
so if "aptitude forbid-version" just modify a config file of apt-get ....

Anyway, if we come back to the first question:
Is somebody able to explain what are the reaction of apt-listbugs following each choice ? (Y or p)

Thanks again for your help

ericc

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nadir
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#8 Post by nadir »

I think that the more interesting track is
aptitude forbid-version ~i~n"^nfs-"
from http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 19#p279576

but I don't use aptitude usually so I really wonder what this command do and if it applicable to apt-get.
correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that aptitude as dselect, use apt-get in the back-end to download and install package.
so if "aptitude forbid-version" just modify a config file of apt-get ....
If i am not wrong the according apt-get command is the one in the first link i gave:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 27#p229200
from my notes:

Code: Select all

$ cat set-selections-hold-unhold.txt 
package to hold:
echo "package_name hold"|dpkg --set-selections

to 'unhold' it:
echo "package_name install"|dpkg --set-selections
Anyway, if we come back to the first question:
Is somebody able to explain what are the reaction of apt-listbugs following each choice ? (Y or p)
Sorry, no idea.
"I am not fine with it, so there is nothing for me to do but stand aside." M.D.

ericc
Posts: 40
Joined: 2008-07-08 10:16

Re: apt-listbugs usage

#9 Post by ericc »

nadir wrote: If i am not wrong the according apt-get command is the one in the first link i gave:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 27#p229200
from my notes:

Code: Select all

$ cat set-selections-hold-unhold.txt 
package to hold:
echo "package_name hold"|dpkg --set-selections

to 'unhold' it:
echo "package_name install"|dpkg --set-selections
In fact, this method is the opposite of what I would like to achieve ... even if the result at the end is the same !

In your case, you put the package "on-hold" telling to apt-get that you want to keep the current installed version.
And when you see that a new "non-buggy" version exist then you "unhold" the current version

With "aptitude forbid", you say to aptitude that you don't want to install a specific version, but it will install the next one.

result is the same but you have more work to do in your case, as you need to check continuously when the next version is available

ericc

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bugsbunny
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#10 Post by bugsbunny »

aptitude does not use apt-get in background. forbid-version is aptitude only and apt-get will not honor it.

If you choose Y (install) then all packages will be installed. If you choose N (do not install) then no packages will be installed and the instal will abort. Easy enough to try answering N and see what happens.

Using aptitude you can, after saying yes, selectively prevent packages from installing. The control I get from aptitude (including the cli version) is one of the reasons it's my preferred package tool over apt-get.

ericc
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#11 Post by ericc »

Thanks for the clear answer.
bugsbunny wrote:If you choose Y (install) then all packages will be installed.
the sentence is the help isn't accurate or clear enough as it say "y - continue the apt installation, but do not make the bugs ignored." my understanding was that it install all other packages but not those with bug ... but I had a doubt

So what is the difference with option "a - continue the apt installation and make all the above bugs ignored." ?
bugsbunny wrote:If you choose N (do not install) then no packages will be installed and the instal will abort. Easy enough to try answering N and see what happens.
:) Yes I already try this one (as said in the first message)
bugsbunny wrote:aptitude does not use apt-get in background. forbid-version is aptitude only and apt-get will not honor it.

Using aptitude you can, after saying yes, selectively prevent packages from installing. The control I get from aptitude (including the cli version) is one of the reasons it's my preferred package tool over apt-get.
I will give a try to aptitude.
I 'm used to apt-get and dselect but everybody must evolve .... sometimes :wink:

Do "aptitude" use also "apt-listbugs" ?

Thanks again

ericc

ericc
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#12 Post by ericc »

bugsbunny wrote:aptitude does not use apt-get in background. forbid-version is aptitude only and apt-get will not honor it.
For your information, on the official Debian wiki (http://wiki.debian.org/Aptitude) , the first sentence is :
Aptitude is an Ncurses based FrontEnd to Apt, the debian package manager. :roll:

confusing .... or apt and apt-get are 2 different things !

ericc

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roseway
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#13 Post by roseway »

ericc wrote:confusing .... or apt and apt-get are 2 different things !
Yes they are. Apt is the name for the Debian package management system; apt-get is one front end to it; aptitude is another.
Eric

ericc
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#14 Post by ericc »

As I want to know the answer, I made a virtual machine for VirtualBox, then a snapshot of this virtual machine and I made tests.

So for apt-listbugs, the key "Y" and "a" have, apparently, the same effect ! All packages are installed including those buggy !
I don't understand the meaning of "do not make the bugs ignored"
The key "p" , pine or put on hold the buggy package, meaning that the current version will be kept but you will have to check manually if the bug isn't corrected and then unhold the package ! as explained previously

I tried also with aptitude !
So aptitude use also apt-listbugs and propose exactly the same choice !
The weird point is that it download first the packages and then check for bugs (as apt-get), not critical but if you have a limited internet access (in bandwidth or volume) it's not pleasant !

But with aptitude, you can stop the process and then forbid the version (as described by bugsbunny) :
aptitude forbit-version udev=167-1
will tell to aptitude to not install the version 167-1 of package udev
And then you relaunch the normal upgrade and the package will not be upgraded but for the next version.

Strange enough to be noted, with "aptitude safe-upgrade" the package "nfs-common" is not upgraded !! And I don't understand why :?

An additional question about aptitude:
I read on an Ubuntu forum (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=37736) that with aptitude when you install a package and you need other dependencies, later if you uninstall the main package it uninstall also the dependencies.
But some answers to this message seems to said the opposite and the thread is old (2005).
Can you confirm this feature ? or is it the imagination of the writer ?

I think that I will adopt aptitude instead of apt-get + dselect. I have some "repulsion" in front of the GUI but I remember also that 10 years ago when I start with dselect, I didn't find it easy to use and ugly :wink:

ericc

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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#15 Post by bugsbunny »

I only use aptitude from the command line, I hate aptitude's ncurses interface. You also have aptitude-gtk available so if you want a gui interface you can try installing and running that.

By default yes aptitude will also remove unused dependencies (apt-get autoremove is equivalent), although I have seen some quirks along those lines lately where packages are flagged for removal but not actually removed. I'll get around to investigating and filing a bug report eventually. In the meantime "aptitude install" (with no packages listed) will trigger then flagged removals and process them.

If you want to see why it's not offering to update nfs-common run:

Code: Select all

aptitude install nfs-common -s
The -s is "simulate" and you can run that as a normal user. The results should indicate what it would need to do to install the package and should give you a clue as to why you need full-upgrade rather than safe-upgrade.

secipolla
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Re: apt-listbugs usage

#16 Post by secipolla »

Ignore or not the bugs probably means that apt-listbugs will keep displaying them so even if you install the buggy package you may still be reminded about their bugs (when chosing not to ignore).

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