Bug#182895: apt: some other categories to notify the user of beyond 'held back'

[Dan Jacobson <jidanni@dman.ddts.net>]

Package: apt
Version: 0.5.4
Severity: wishlist
File: /usr/bin/apt-get

I was surprised that what I thought would always keep me up to date,
  apt-get update, upgrade, dist-upgrade, even adding -f
if not updating, would at least tell me something was held back etc.

However, it might have been years before I discovered some packages
were not updating, due to various consolidations, etc.

It might have been a shame, as when a package is too big for modem
calls, I must make sure it gets on the CD I have a friend apt-zip on
my rare trips to town.

Today's example is the fetchmail name change
# apt-get dist-upgrade upgrade -f -s|grep fetch
[no mention no matter how I combine the args.]
I must somehow know to do
# apt-get install fetchmail -s
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  fetchmail-common fetchmail-ssl 
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  fetchmail 
0 packages upgraded, 1 newly installed, 2 to remove and 285  not upgraded.
Remv fetchmail-ssl (6.1.0-1 Debian:unstable)
Remv fetchmail-common (6.1.0-1 Debian:unstable)
Inst fetchmail (6.2.1-1 Debian:unstable)
Conf fetchmail (6.2.1-1 Debian:unstable)

BTW, what if Inst fails, then the old one is already gone....

[Ok, I guessed something was up from looking [readonly] in aptitude's
"g", but in general I'm afraid to use aptitude -- seems too aggressive
or something.]

Anyways, assuming sometimes packages make such changes, the user who
thinks apt-get upgrade etc. is, as the magazines say, all one needs to
do to keep fresh, should still be informed, [assuming the package owner
hasn't boo-booed in this case.  Or professional boo-booer me hasn't either.]
-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
Architecture: i386
Kernel: Linux debian 2.4.20-k7 #1 Tue Jan 14 00:29:06 EST 2003 i686
Locale: LANG=zh_TW.Big5, LC_CTYPE=zh_TW.Big5

Versions of packages apt depends on:
ii  libc6                        2.3.1-10    GNU C Library: Shared libraries an
ii  libstdc++2.10-glibc2.2       1:2.95.4-15 The GNU stdc++ library

-- no debconf information