Bug#700116: apt-cache silently ignores -t
Daniel Hartwig <mandyke@gmail.com> writes:
> This is a somewhat common misconception caused by an improper
> understanding of the role of -t. I am not sure where such
> misunderstanding originates from as the manual is clear that it has a
> particular role within an algorithm documented by apt_preferences(5).
> Anyway, I'm sure you are aware of that.
Actually, I wasn't, and did have the mistaken understanding of what -t
meant that you discussed. I wish I could remember where I got that
impression so that I could tell you!
Thank you for your explanation. I will try to pay that forward by
correcting other people. :)
> Even with --no-all-versions the /candidate version/ may not be from
> the specified default release. The correct syntax to select from a
> particular release is “pkg/release”:
> $ apt-cache show webauth-utils/unstable
And indeed, that works great.
Feel free to close this bug.
> Personally, I find that the manuals are clear enough and consistent in
> their use of very particular terms (such as “candidate version”). This
> facilitates the careful reader who does not make assumptions. The
> documentation of -t in apt-get(8) does not particularly mislead about
> the options role, though perhaps a short note there — for users who do
> not also read apt_preferences(5) — that it is *not* equivalent to the
> “pkg/release” syntax:
Two things would have helped me:
* A note in the -t option description in apt-get saying "if you're trying
to install a package from a particular release, you should use the
package/release syntax rather than this flag. (It doesn't currently
explicitly say that.)
* Some note at the top of the apt-cache man page that "pkg" in the various
commands can be qualified with /release.
> Perhaps otherwise a general discussion on specifying versions (“=ver”
> and “/release”) rather than embedding this within the instructions for
> “install”.
Yes, that would be great.
--
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org) <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
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