running aptitude and apt-get from cron

[Richard Kimber <rkimber@ntlworld.com>]

I have been running 'apt-get-update' from cron during the night.  Root
gets sent the output which is much as one would see in a terminal.

However, following a recent message from someone (Colin Watson???) to the
list suggesting that it is better to run aptitude than apt-get directly, I
have been experimenting with 'aptitude update' instead.  However the
output from this that is emailed to root is not helpful, and is always of
the form:-

9% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for file]99%
[Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting
for file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for
file]99% [Waiting for file]                      Err
http://www.phy.olemiss.edu testing/main Packages
  Connection failed

r file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for
file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for file]99% [Waiting for file]99%

.... etc.,
with no indication of what, if anything, has been achieved.

Is there a way of getting aptitude to give output similar to what one gets
in a terminal, like apt-get?  Or should I not be doing this at all?

Thanks,
-Richard.
-- 
Richard Kimber
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/