Bug#115953: apt-get -d install <package> doesn't work as documented

[Janos Holanyi <csani@lme.linux.hu>]

Package: apt
Version: 0.5.4
Severity: normal

Hi,

Given the following exceprt from the apt-get(8) manpage:

       -d

       --download-only
              Download  only;  package  files are only retrieved,
              not unpacked  or  installed.   Configuration  Item:
              APT::Get::Download-Only.

and the actual behavior of apt-get, e.g.:

  # apt-get -d install ssh
  Reading Package Lists... Done
  Building Dependency Tree... Done
  Sorry, ssh is already the newest version.
  0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 31  not upgraded.

there is a contradiction: apt-get still wants to install the package.
If it wouldn't want to, it had downloaded the package and had left it in
/var/cache/apt/archives.

There are several ways we could solve this contradiction:

1. make a new apt-get command, e.g.: apt-get deb <package>

2. correct the manpage, e.g.: s/"package  files are only retrieved, not
   unpacked  or  installed."/"the regular install procedure of apt-get(8)
   stops right after retrieving the package. It doesn't retrieve the package
   if it is already installed and if the dependencies are not met."/

3. any more ideas?

Thanks.
BR,

Csan

-- System Information
Debian Release: testing/unstable
Architecture: i386
Kernel: Linux holanyij 2.4.10 #1 Sat Sep 29 02:12:03 CEST 2001 i686
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C

Versions of packages apt depends on:
ii  libc6                  2.2.4-3           GNU C Library: Shared libraries an
ii  libstdc++2.10-glibc2.2 1:2.95.4-0.011006 The GNU stdc++ library