[Aptitude-devel] Bug#747442: Bug#747442: aptitude: progs run by aptitude (apt-listbugs, how-can-I-help block apt when they crash

[Daniel Hartwig]

On 9 May 2014 02:08, Stephen McGregor <xxx at stephen-mcgregor.com> wrote:
> Package: aptitude
> Version: 0.6.10
> Severity: grave
> Justification: renders package unusable
>
> Dear Maintainer,
>
> the specific situation:
> -       [ already filed as #747406 against ruby]
> -        a ruby corruption is crashing both apt-listbugs AND how-can-I-help
> -       thus aptitude returns a failure and does NOT install the desired packages
> -       the apt system is now completely broken: these packages can not be removed
>         and no others can be installed.
> -       apt-get is also affected and no longer works.
>
> the general case <--- important
> -       any program run by aptitude (such as apt-listbugs or how-can-I-help) that
>         crashes will break the apt system.
> -       this is a critical bug: any type of failure in sub-programs should have NO
>         effect on aptitude.
>

Not a bug, this is the intended and documented behaviour [1].  These
hook programs are permitted to prevent an install action from
proceeding by returning failure.  In this case, the hook programs
themselves fail to run, but it can not be assumed that it is the
administrators wishes to proceed anyway.  For example if the purpose
of having apt-listbugs installed is to prevent buggy packages from
being installed, that purpose _would_ be defeated.

Do you trust to install packages without that program screening them
first?  If so, you can inform apt of this decision by removing the
bothersome lines from apt.conf.


[1] From apt.conf(5):

   Pre-Install-Pkgs
     This is a list of shell commands to run before invoking dpkg(1).
     Like options this must be specified in list notation. The
     commands are invoked in order using /bin/sh; *should any fail
     APT will abort*.