Bug#913684: python-apt: API accesses internal dpkg database

[Guillem Jover <guillem@debian.org>]

Source: python-apt
Source-Version: 1.7.0
Severity: important
User: debian-dpkg@lists.debian.org
Usertags: dpkg-db-access-blocker
Control: block -1 by 913683

Hi!

This package provides an API to access the dpkg packages files lists,
but it does that by directly accessing the dpkg internal database.
The installed_files function should be switched to use a new libapt
interface, or barring that it should use «dpkg-query --listfiles».

This is a problem for several reasons, because even though the layout and
format of the dpkg database is administrator friendly, and it is expected
that those might need to mess with it, in case of emergency, this
“interface” does not extend to other programs besides the dpkg suite of
tools. The admindir can also be configured differently at dpkg build or
run-time. And finally, the contents and its format, will be changing in
the near future.

Thanks,
Guillem