Re: regexp a package with apt?

[thib <thib@stammed.net>]

Jozsi Vadkan wrote:
> Is there a regexp for the:
>
> gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad
>
> package?
>
> I mean like:
>
> apt-get install gstreamer*-plugins-bad
>
> so that later, when it will get a new version number, it would still be
> downloadable by a "script" written e.g.: now.

Sure, gstreamer.*-plugins-bad$
Just don't forget the quotes to prevent shell expansion, to search for 
package names only, and if it's a batch job, whatever is necessary to be 
non-interactive.

I would suggest aptitude
  # aptitude --assume-yes install '?name(gstreamer.*-plugins-bad$)'

until someone can clear what exactly the different apt-* tools are using:

  # apt-get --assume-yes install 'gstreamer.*-plugins-bad$'
  [...]
  Note, selecting gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad for regex 
'gstreamer.*-plugins-bad$'

  $ apt-cache --names-only search 'gstreamer.*-plugins-bad$'
  gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad - GStreamer plugins from the "bad" set
  gstreamer0.10-plugins-really-bad - GStreamer plugins from the "bad" set

apt-get seems fine, but I find the inconsitency weird.  I'll try to blame my 
regex-fu before apt-cache, although I just can't think of a way it got to 
match the *really-bad package.  Manpage says it's supposed to be POSIX RE.

  $ apt-show-versions -R '^apt(itude)?$'
  apt/lenny uptodate 0.7.20.2+lenny1
  aptitude/lenny uptodate 0.4.11.11-1~lenny1

-thib