Bug#906677: apt remove php7.0-fpm wants to install apache2 but doesn't tell why

[Olaf van der Spek <olafvdspek@gmail.com>]

2018-08-19 21:09 GMT+02:00 Julian Andres Klode <jak@debian.org>:
> Well add more of the stuff you don't want. Come on.

Already did that. ;)

# apt remove php7.0-fpm libapache2-mod-php7.0- php7.0-cgi-
libapache2-mod-php- php7.2-cgi-
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Package 'libapache2-mod-php' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'libapache2-mod-php7.0' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'php7.0-cgi' is not installed, so not removed
Package 'php7.2-cgi' is not installed, so not removed
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libpq5 php-pgsql php-sqlite3 php7.2-pgsql php7.2-sqlite3
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  adminer php7.0 php7.0-fpm
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 3 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 6,619 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
Abort.

So after X attempts the culprit is found: adminer
Wouldn't been so much easier if apt told me right away.

>> Know what?
>
> That you don't want apache2.

If I want to remove a pkg I do NOT expect pkgs to be installed. I
might expect apt to indicate that some more pkgs might need to be
removed.

>> >> I think apt should tell where the dependency on apache2 comes from.
>> >
>> > Nah, that would be too verbose.
>>
>> Why's that?
>
> If you install a lot of packages, showing which package(s) cause the package to
> be installed is very verbose. I mean, set Debug::pkgDepCache::Marker to 1 and
> see for yourself.

Note that we're not talking about the user wanting to install packages
in this case.. the initial request is to remove a pkg.


>>
>> > You could use debugging logs to figure that out, or just
>> > tell apt not to install apache2.

I find that to be a less than ideal UI / UX.

Gr,

Olaf