[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: explanation of first column "v" is hiding



Andrei POPESCU composed on 2021-07-26 21:54 (UTC+0300):

> Greg Wooledge wrote:

>> On Mon, Jul 26, 2021 at 07:22:49PM +0200, l0f4r0 wrote:

>>> Felix Miata wrote:

>>>> # man dpkg-query

>>> aptitude man page:

>>> "Each search result is listed on a separate line. The first 
>>> character of each line indicates the current state of the package: 
>>> the most common states are p, meaning that no trace of the package 
>>> exists on the system, c, meaning that the package was deleted but 
>>> its configuration files remain on the system, i, meaning that the 
>>> package is installed, and v, meaning that the package is virtual."

>> Wait, wait, wait....

>> First, are you telling me that the documentation for dpkg-query's output
>> format is in aptitude's man page? 
											
I pasted that list from aptitude's man page, at the point at which I had given up
hope of finding the answer. It's the identical "v"-omitted list from dpkg-query's
man page.

> I believe you misread, it was the OP that searched in 'man dpkg-query' 
> for the meaning of aptitude flags.
											
I was searching www and various man pages for a tabular *list* of meanings of the
letters after finding no "v" in the dpkg*/apt* man pages. After a long period of
frustration searching for that single letter command option, I pasted into my OP
the only list I managed to find that answered the question in an apparent
comprehensive tabular list format.

Had the word "virtual" come to mind, as it did for Greg, I may have managed to
come up with an answer myself, likely in similar manner.

Is there a catalog anywhere of all Debian's package management commands? Figuring
out which to use for any given requirement is a daunting task, with a multitude of
similar sibling/hyphenated/plugin commands taking the place of command options,
switches and sub-commands (as with yum/dnf); as opposed to zypper, which works
virtually exclusively with switches, sub-commands and options, *all* discoverable
by searching through a comprehensive _single_man_page_.
-- 
Evolution as taught in public schools is, like religion,
	based on faith, not based on science.

 Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!

Felix Miata


Reply to: