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Re: apt stuck at "Reading database"



On 04/13/2015 01:11 PM, Brian wrote:
On Mon 13 Apr 2015 at 08:42:45 -0400, Jape Person wrote:

I'd even argue that the deb-src entries are not necessary for the majority of
Debian users.

IIRC apt-listbugs or apt-listchanges (or both) don't work without
the deb-src entries in /etc/apt/sources.list. I think these are
tools that Debian users should be encouraged to use. At the least
they provide a bit of a heads-up to the unwary during installations
and upgrades.

You would have to provide a source for the information in your first
sentence. One of my machines has a single line in sources.list and it
doesn't begin "deb-src". I agree apt-listbugs and apt-listchanges are
very useful for any user but the bug information really needs to be
checked with the BTS to get the full benefit of apt-listbugs.


Yup, I would have to provide a source, but I don't seem to be able to do so.

I do remember years ago deciding to remove the deb-src lines in my sources.list file and finding to my dismay that I couldn't see changelongs for files which I was preparing to upgrade. This was when I was using aptitude in interactive TUI mode. It was my habit to hit "u" to get aptitude to update its cache and then <Ctrl>+<t> followed by <g> twice to see the list of proposed upgrades. Then I'd highlight a package of interest and use aptitude to view the changelog.

I asked about it on this list (I think) and someone told me that I needed the deb-src lines to see the changelog in aptitude. When I added the deb-src back to sources.list, I regained the changelog function. I remember thinking at the time that this seemed more like a bug than a feature.

I should have stated all of that information when I posted about this earlier. Sorry.

I wonder if I'm misremembering, or if this was actually the case. After further reflection I am also thinking that I was not yet using apt-listbugs at that time, so it would have been apt-changelog that wasn't working for me. I think I only started using apt-listbugs last year.

If I get a little time later today, I'll do a little experimentation to see if I can see any evidence whatsoever that might confirm my earlier presumption.

But I do get your point.

It is quite a good one. If you never re-build a deb package the line
is redundant.


Yup.

Best,
JP


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