Bug#1061148: apt: option -a has several meanings and is unusable
On Fri, Jan 19, 2024 at 03:43:25PM +0100, Vincent Lefevre wrote:
> Package: apt
> Version: 2.7.9
> Severity: normal
>
> In the apt-get(8) man page:
>
> apt-get [-asqdyfmubV] [-o=config_string] [-c=config_file]
> [-t=target_release] [-a=architecture] {update | upgrade |
> dselect-upgrade | dist-upgrade |
> install pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... |
> remove pkg... | purge pkg... |
> source pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... |
> build-dep pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... |
> download pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... |
> check | clean | autoclean | autoremove | {-v | --version} |
> {-h | --help}}
>
> So option -a appears both as a single option -a and as -a=architecture.
>
> In the apt(8) man page, only the second form is listed, but for both
> commands, it is unusable:
>
> # apt-get -a=i386 install libfontconfig-dev
> E: Command line option 'a' [from -a=i386] is not understood in combination with the other options.
>
> # apt -a=i386 install libfontconfig-dev
> E: Command line option 'a' [from -a=i386] is not understood in combination with the other options.
-a in that sense is an argument to build-dep and family (source --build,
satisfy). It is short for host-architecture, and makes no sense in any
other command.
You seem to be trying to install libfontconfig-dev:i386
We haven't explained that it works outside of source --compile and
build-dep (i.e. in satisfy) but I fail to see how you get to try
to pass this to install after reading the manual page.
The help output obviously can't tell you which commands support
which arguments.
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