Bug#126938: apt doesn't recognize installed package that provides virtual package

[David Schleef <ds@schleef.org>]

Package: apt
Version: 0.5.4
Severity: normal


This may be related to #116011.  apt-get doesn't recognize when a
package is already installed that provides a virtual package that
is requested:


bin/bash-2.05a# apt-get install kernel-headers-2.4   
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Package kernel-headers-2.4 is a virtual package provided by:
  kernel-headers-2.4.16-k7 2.4.16-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.16-k6 2.4.16-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.16-686-smp 2.4.16-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.16-686 2.4.16-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.16-586tsc 2.4.16-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.16-586 2.4.16-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.16-386 2.4.16-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.16 2.4.16-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14-k7 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14-k6 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14-686-smp 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14-686 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14-586tsc 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14-586-ext3 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14-586 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14-386 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.14 2.4.14-1
  kernel-headers-2.4.13-586-ext3 2.4.13-2
  kernel-headers-2.4.10-sparc 17
You should explicitly select one to install.
E: Package kernel-headers-2.4 has no installation candidate


however, (and note that kernel-headers-2.4.16 Provides: kernel-headers-2.4)

bin/bash-2.05a# apt-get install kernel-headers-2.4.16
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Sorry, kernel-headers-2.4.16 is already the newest version.
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0  not upgraded.



dave...