Bug#900142: apt: Inconsistency between "apt install ./binary.deb" and "dpkg -i ./binary.deb" if package already up-to-date

[Chris Lamb <lamby@debian.org>]

Package: apt
Version: 1.6.1
Severity: minor

Hi,

If I have a package installed:

  $ apt list gnome-boxes
  gnome-boxes/now 3.27.92-1pureos1 amd64 [installed,local]

… and then try and "apt install ./binary.deb" a package of the
same version, for example:
  
  $ sudo apt install ./gnome-boxes_3.27.92-1pureos1_amd64.deb 
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree       
  Reading state information... Done
  Note, selecting 'gnome-boxes' instead of './gnome-boxes_3.27.92-1pureos1_amd64.deb'
  gnome-boxes is already the newest version (3.27.92-1pureos1).
  0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 199 not upgraded.

… then it is not updated. This is inconsistent with the behaviour
of "dpkg -i binary.deb"
  
  $ sudo dpkg -i ./gnome-boxes_3.27.92-1pureos1_amd64.deb 
  (Reading database ... 220355 files and directories currently installed.)
  Preparing to unpack .../gnome-boxes_3.27.92-1pureos1_amd64.deb ...
  Unpacking gnome-boxes (3.27.92-1pureos1) over (3.27.92-1pureos1) ...
  Setting up gnome-boxes (3.27.92-1pureos1) ...
  Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.23-3) ...
  Processing triggers for mime-support (3.60) ...
  Processing triggers for libglib2.0-0:amd64 (2.56.1-2) ...
  Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...

Either this is a bug (?) or the documentation could be clarified. :)

We currently give the impression that almost all calls to "dpkg -i
binary.deb" should/could be replaced with calls to "apt install ./
binary.deb".


Best wishes,

-- 
      ,''`.
     : :'  :     Chris Lamb
     `. `'`      lamby@debian.org / chris-lamb.co.uk
       `-