Package: apt
Version: 2.9.10
Severity: normal
X-Debbugs-Cc: adrela...@kicksecure.com, arraybo...@gmail.com
Suppose a user wants to install package `foo`. `foo` recommends `bar`.
The user already has an unrelated package `frazzle` installed, which
suggests `bar`. When the user installs `foo`, `bar` will be
automatically pulled in due to the Recommends link. If the user later
uninstalls `foo`, `bar` should become autoremovable, because nothing
has a hard or even strong dependency on `bar` any longer and `bar`
wasn't installed because of `frazzle`. However, because `frazzle`
suggests `bar`, this will not happen
- `bar` will remain on the system until manually uninstalled.
Steps to reproduce:
1. Ensure `git` is installed by running `sudo apt install git`.
2. Create a testing metapackage called `test-meta`, which recommends
`gitk`. My source package tree looks like this:
test-meta (dir)
|
-> debian (dir)
|
-> changelog (file)
-> control (file)
-> rules (file)
-> source (dir)
|
-> format (file)
test-meta/debian/changelog:
test-meta (1.0) unstable; urgency=medium
* Test build
-- Aaron Rainbolt <arraybo...@ubuntu.com> Wed, 06 Nov 2024
00:36:00 +0500
test-meta/debian/control:
Source: test-meta
Section: metapackages
Priority: optional
Maintainer: Aaron Rainbolt <arraybo...@ubuntu.com>
Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 13), debhelper-compat (= 13)
Standards-Version: 4.6.2
Rules-Requires-Root: no
Package: test-meta
Architecture: all
Depends: ${misc:Depends}
Recommends: gitk
Description: Test metapackage
This is a test metapackage.
.
Yep, that's what this is.
test-meta/debian/rules
#!/usr/bin/make -f
#export DH_VERBOSE=1
%:
dh $@
test-meta/debian/source/format:
3.0 (native)
3. Build the package. (I used sbuild for this, dpkg-buildpackage will
almost certainly work fine though.)
4. Install the package with `sudo apt install ./test-meta_1.0_all.deb`.
5. Purge the package with `sudo apt purge test-meta`.
6. Run `sudo apt autopurge`.
Expected result: `gitk` should be removed during the autopurge step.
Actual result: Only the test-meta package is removed.
Additional info: `gitk` is suggested by `git`. I believe this is what's
causing the problem - apt sees the Suggests link and refuses to remove
`gitk`, even though `gitk` isn't installed because of `git`.
Terminal output from me running the following commands, in order:
* sudo apt install git
* sudo apt install ./test-meta_1.0_all.deb
* aptitude why gitk
* apt list --installed | grep gitk
* sudo apt purge test-meta
* aptitude why gitk
* apt list --installed | grep gitk
user@apttest:~/Public/kicksecure/git$ sudo apt install git
git is already the newest version (1:2.45.2-1.1).
Summary:
Upgrading: 0, Installing: 0, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 0
user@apttest:~/Public/kicksecure/git$ sudo apt install
./test-meta_1.0_all.deb Note, selecting 'test-meta' instead of
'./test-meta_1.0_all.deb' Installing:
test-meta
Installing dependencies:
gitk libtcl8.6 libtk8.6 tcl tcl8.6 tk tk8.6
Suggested packages:
git-doc tcl-tclreadline
Summary:
Upgrading: 0, Installing: 8, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 0
Download size: 3,208 kB / 3,210 kB
Space needed: 9,144 kB / 26.0 GB available
Continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 /home/user/Public/kicksecure/git/test-meta_1.0_all.deb
test-meta all 1.0 [1,072 B]
Get:2 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64 libtcl8.6 amd64
8.6.15+dfsg-2 [1,042 kB] Get:3 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64
libtk8.6 amd64 8.6.15-1 [791 kB]
Get:4 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64 tk8.6 amd64 8.6.15-1
[69.6 kB]
Get:5 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64 tcl8.6 amd64
8.6.15+dfsg-2 [120 kB]
Get:6 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64 tcl amd64 8.6.14 [4,032 B]
Get:7 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64 tk amd64 8.6.14 [4,076 B]
Get:8 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64 gitk all 1:2.45.2-1.1
[1,177 kB]
Fetched 3,208 kB in 1s (2,608 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libtcl8.6:amd64.
(Reading database ... 108537 files and directories currently
installed.) Preparing to unpack
.../0-libtcl8.6_8.6.15+dfsg-2_amd64.deb ... Unpacking
libtcl8.6:amd64 (8.6.15+dfsg-2) ... Selecting previously unselected
package libtk8.6:amd64. Preparing to unpack
.../1-libtk8.6_8.6.15-1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libtk8.6:amd64
(8.6.15-1) ... Selecting previously unselected package tk8.6.
Preparing to unpack .../2-tk8.6_8.6.15-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking tk8.6 (8.6.15-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package tcl8.6.
Preparing to unpack .../3-tcl8.6_8.6.15+dfsg-2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking tcl8.6 (8.6.15+dfsg-2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package tcl.
Preparing to unpack .../4-tcl_8.6.14_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking tcl (8.6.14) ...
Selecting previously unselected package tk.
Preparing to unpack .../5-tk_8.6.14_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking tk (8.6.14) ...
Selecting previously unselected package gitk.
Preparing to unpack .../6-gitk_1%3a2.45.2-1.1_all.deb ...
Unpacking gitk (1:2.45.2-1.1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package test-meta.
Preparing to unpack .../7-test-meta_1.0_all.deb ...
Unpacking test-meta (1.0) ...
Setting up test-meta (1.0) ...
Setting up libtcl8.6:amd64 (8.6.15+dfsg-2) ...
Setting up tcl8.6 (8.6.15+dfsg-2) ...
Setting up libtk8.6:amd64 (8.6.15-1) ...
Setting up tcl (8.6.14) ...
Setting up tk8.6 (8.6.15-1) ...
Setting up tk (8.6.14) ...
Setting up gitk (1:2.45.2-1.1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.13.0-1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.40-3) ...
Notice: Download is performed unsandboxed as root as file
'/home/user/Public/kicksecure/git/test-meta_1.0_all.deb' couldn't
be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission
denied) user@apttest:~/Public/kicksecure/git$ aptitude why gitk i
test-meta Recommends gitk user@apttest:~/Public/kicksecure/git$ apt
list --installed | grep gitk
WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution
in scripts.
gitk/unstable,now 1:2.45.2-1.1 all [installed,automatic]
user@apttest:~/Public/kicksecure/git$ sudo apt purge test-meta
REMOVING:
test-meta*
Summary:
Upgrading: 0, Installing: 0, Removing: 1, Not Upgrading: 0
Freed space: 7,168 B
Continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 108937 files and directories currently
installed.) Removing test-meta (1.0) ...
user@apttest:~/Public/kicksecure/git$ aptitude why gitk
i git Suggests gitk
user@apttest:~/Public/kicksecure/git$ apt list --installed | grep
gitk
WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution
in scripts.
gitk/unstable,now 1:2.45.2-1.1 all [installed,automatic]
I'm not entirely sure if this is something that can be or even should be
solved. Assuming I'm right about the cause of the issue here, what's
happening is that apt sees that the package is referenced by another
package in a dependency relationship, and so refuses to autoremove it
since it *could* have been installed by doing something along the lines
of `sudo apt install --install-suggests git`. However, given the
purpose of the Suggests field, this does not seem like correct behavior
to me. If a package is not installed because of a particular Suggests
link, it should not be retained because of that particular Suggests
link.
Assuming this is something that should be solved, it seems to me like
there would need to be some way of identifying *which* package (or
packages) were installed that ended up pulling in a particular other
package as a Suggests because of APT::Install-Suggests. That way apt
could decide whether the Suggests link should be ignored, or if it
should be taken into account when determining which packages are
autoremovable. The question then is if this would require changes to
tools beyond apt to implement.
-- Package-specific info:
-- apt-config dump --
APT "";
APT::Architecture "amd64";
APT::Build-Essential "";
APT::Build-Essential:: "build-essential";
APT::Install-Recommends "1";
APT::Install-Suggests "0";
APT::Key "";
APT::Key::Assert-Pubkey-Algo
">=rsa2048,ed25519,ed448,nistp256,nistp384,nistp512,brainpoolP256r1,brainpoolP320r1,brainpoolP384r1,brainpoolP512r1,secp256k1";
APT::Key::Assert-Pubkey-Algo::Next
">=rsa2048,ed25519,ed448,nistp256,nistp384,nistp512";
APT::Key::Assert-Pubkey-Algo::Future ">=rsa3072,ed25519,ed448";
APT::Sandbox ""; APT::Sandbox::User "_apt"; APT::Authentication "";
APT::Authentication::TrustCDROM "true";
APT::NeverAutoRemove "";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^firmware-linux.*";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-firmware$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-image-[a-z0-9]*$";
APT::NeverAutoRemove:: "^linux-image-[a-z0-9]*-[a-z0-9]*$";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages "";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "linux-.*";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "kfreebsd-.*";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: "gnumach-.*";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: ".*-modules";
APT::VersionedKernelPackages:: ".*-kernel";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections "";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections:: "metapackages";
APT::Never-MarkAuto-Sections:: "tasks";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections "";
APT::Move-Autobit-Sections:: "oldlibs";
APT::Architectures "";
APT::Architectures:: "amd64";
APT::Compressor "";
APT::Compressor::. "";
APT::Compressor::.::Name ".";
APT::Compressor::.::Extension "";
APT::Compressor::.::Binary "";
APT::Compressor::.::Cost "0";
APT::Compressor::zstd "";
APT::Compressor::zstd::Name "zstd";
APT::Compressor::zstd::Extension ".zst";
APT::Compressor::zstd::Binary "zstd";
APT::Compressor::zstd::Cost "60";
APT::Compressor::zstd::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::zstd::CompressArg:: "-19";
APT::Compressor::zstd::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::zstd::UncompressArg:: "-d";
APT::Compressor::lz4 "";
APT::Compressor::lz4::Name "lz4";
APT::Compressor::lz4::Extension ".lz4";
APT::Compressor::lz4::Binary "false";
APT::Compressor::lz4::Cost "50";
APT::Compressor::gzip "";
APT::Compressor::gzip::Name "gzip";
APT::Compressor::gzip::Extension ".gz";
APT::Compressor::gzip::Binary "gzip";
APT::Compressor::gzip::Cost "100";
APT::Compressor::gzip::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::gzip::CompressArg:: "-6n";
APT::Compressor::gzip::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::gzip::UncompressArg:: "-d";
APT::Compressor::xz "";
APT::Compressor::xz::Name "xz";
APT::Compressor::xz::Extension ".xz";
APT::Compressor::xz::Binary "xz";
APT::Compressor::xz::Cost "200";
APT::Compressor::xz::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::xz::CompressArg:: "-6";
APT::Compressor::xz::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::xz::UncompressArg:: "-d";
APT::Compressor::bzip2 "";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::Name "bzip2";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::Extension ".bz2";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::Binary "bzip2";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::Cost "300";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::CompressArg:: "-6";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::bzip2::UncompressArg:: "-d";
APT::Compressor::lzma "";
APT::Compressor::lzma::Name "lzma";
APT::Compressor::lzma::Extension ".lzma";
APT::Compressor::lzma::Binary "xz";
APT::Compressor::lzma::Cost "400";
APT::Compressor::lzma::CompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::lzma::CompressArg:: "--format=lzma";
APT::Compressor::lzma::CompressArg:: "-6";
APT::Compressor::lzma::UncompressArg "";
APT::Compressor::lzma::UncompressArg:: "--format=lzma";
APT::Compressor::lzma::UncompressArg:: "-d";
Dir "/";
Dir::State "var/lib/apt";
Dir::State::lists "lists/";
Dir::State::cdroms "cdroms.list";
Dir::State::extended_states "extended_states";
Dir::State::status "/var/lib/dpkg/status";
Dir::Cache "var/cache/apt";
Dir::Cache::archives "archives/";
Dir::Cache::srcpkgcache "srcpkgcache.bin";
Dir::Cache::pkgcache "pkgcache.bin";
Dir::Etc "etc/apt";
Dir::Etc::sourcelist "sources.list";
Dir::Etc::sourceparts "sources.list.d";
Dir::Etc::main "apt.conf";
Dir::Etc::netrc "auth.conf";
Dir::Etc::netrcparts "auth.conf.d";
Dir::Etc::parts "apt.conf.d";
Dir::Etc::preferences "preferences";
Dir::Etc::preferencesparts "preferences.d";
Dir::Etc::trusted "trusted.gpg";
Dir::Etc::trustedparts "trusted.gpg.d";
Dir::Boot "boot";
Dir::Usr "usr";
Dir::Bin "";
Dir::Bin::methods "/usr/lib/apt/methods";
Dir::Bin::solvers "";
Dir::Bin::solvers:: "/usr/lib/apt/solvers";
Dir::Bin::planners "";
Dir::Bin::planners:: "/usr/lib/apt/planners";
Dir::Bin::dpkg "/usr/bin/dpkg";
Dir::Bin::gzip "/bin/gzip";
Dir::Bin::bzip2 "/bin/bzip2";
Dir::Bin::xz "/usr/bin/xz";
Dir::Bin::lz4 "/usr/bin/lz4";
Dir::Bin::zstd "/usr/bin/zstd";
Dir::Bin::lzma "/usr/bin/xz";
Dir::Media "";
Dir::Media::MountPath "/media/cdrom";
Dir::Log "var/log/apt";
Dir::Log::Terminal "term.log";
Dir::Log::History "history.log";
Dir::Log::Planner "eipp.log.xz";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently "";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "~$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.disabled$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.bak$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.dpkg-[a-z]+$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.ucf-[a-z]+$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.save$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.orig$";
Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently:: "\.distUpgrade$";
Acquire "";
Acquire::AllowInsecureRepositories "0";
Acquire::AllowWeakRepositories "0";
Acquire::AllowDowngradeToInsecureRepositories "0";
Acquire::cdrom "";
Acquire::cdrom::mount "/media/cdrom";
Acquire::IndexTargets "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::MetaKey
"$(COMPONENT)/binary-$(ARCHITECTURE)/Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::flatMetaKey "Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::ShortDescription "Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::Description
"$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) $(ARCHITECTURE) Packages";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::flatDescription "$(RELEASE)
Packages"; Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Packages::Optional "0";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::MetaKey
"$(COMPONENT)/i18n/Translation-$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::flatMetaKey "$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::ShortDescription
"Translation-$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::Description
"$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) Translation-$(LANGUAGE)";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb::Translations::flatDescription "$(RELEASE)
Translation-$(LANGUAGE)"; Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources "";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::MetaKey
"$(COMPONENT)/source/Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::flatMetaKey "Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::ShortDescription "Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::Description
"$(RELEASE)/$(COMPONENT) Sources";
Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::flatDescription "$(RELEASE)
Sources"; Acquire::IndexTargets::deb-src::Sources::Optional "0";
Acquire::Changelogs ""; Acquire::Changelogs::URI "";
Acquire::Changelogs::URI::Origin "";
Acquire::Changelogs::URI::Origin::Debian
"https://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs/@CHANGEPATH@_changelog";;
Acquire::Changelogs::URI::Origin::Ubuntu
"https://changelogs.ubuntu.com/changelogs/pool/@CHANGEPATH@/changelog";;
Acquire::Changelogs::AlwaysOnline "";
Acquire::Changelogs::AlwaysOnline::Origin "";
Acquire::Changelogs::AlwaysOnline::Origin::Ubuntu "1";
Acquire::Snapshots ""; Acquire::Snapshots::URI "";
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Origin "";
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Origin::Debian
"https://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Origin::Ubuntu
"https://snapshot.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Override "";
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Override::Label "";
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Override::Label::Debian-Security
"https://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian-security/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Host "";
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Host::archive.ubuntu.com
"https://snapshot.ubuntu.com/@PATH@/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Host::deb.debian.org
"https://snapshot.debian.org/archive/@PATH@/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Host::.archive.ubuntu.com
"https://snapshot.ubuntu.com/@PATH@/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Host::security.ubuntu.com
"https://snapshot.ubuntu.com/@PATH@/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Host::ppa.launchpadcontent.net
"https://snapshot.ppa.launchpadcontent.net/@PATH@/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Snapshots::URI::Host::ppa.launchpad.net
"https://snapshot.ppa.launchpadcontent.net/@PATH@/@SNAPSHOTID@/";;
Acquire::Languages ""; Acquire::Languages:: "en"; Acquire::Languages::
"none"; Acquire::CompressionTypes ""; Acquire::CompressionTypes::xz
"xz"; Acquire::CompressionTypes::bz2 "bzip2";
Acquire::CompressionTypes::lzma "lzma"; Acquire::CompressionTypes::gz
"gzip"; Acquire::CompressionTypes::lz4 "lz4";
Acquire::CompressionTypes::zst "zstd"; DPkg ""; DPkg::Path
"/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"; DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs "";
DPkg::Pre-Install-Pkgs:: "/usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt || true";
Aptitude ""; Aptitude::Get-Root-Command "sudo:/usr/bin/sudo"; Binary
"apt-config"; Binary::apt-cdrom ""; Binary::apt-cdrom::APT "";
Binary::apt-cdrom::APT::Internal "";
Binary::apt-cdrom::APT::Internal::OpProgress "";
Binary::apt-cdrom::APT::Internal::OpProgress::EraseLines "0";
Binary::apt ""; Binary::apt::APT ""; Binary::apt::APT::Color "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Output-Version "30"; Binary::apt::APT::Cache "";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::Show "";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::Show::Version "2";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::AllVersions "0";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::ShowVirtuals "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::Search "";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::Search::Version "2";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::ShowDependencyType "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Cache::ShowVersion "1"; Binary::apt::APT::Get "";
Binary::apt::APT::Get::Upgrade-Allow-New "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Get::Update "";
Binary::apt::APT::Get::Update::InteractiveReleaseInfoChanges "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Cmd ""; Binary::apt::APT::Cmd::Show-Update-Stats "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Cmd::Pattern-Only "1";
Binary::apt::APT::Keep-Downloaded-Packages "0"; Binary::apt::DPkg "";
Binary::apt::DPkg::Progress-Fancy "1"; Binary::apt::DPkg::Lock "";
Binary::apt::DPkg::Lock::Timeout "-1";
CommandLine "";
CommandLine::AsString "apt-config dump";
-- (no /etc/apt/preferences present) --
-- (no /etc/apt/preferences.d/* present) --
-- /etc/apt/sources.list --
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ sid main non-free-firmware
deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ sid main non-free-firmware
-- (no /etc/apt/sources.list.d/* present) --
-- System Information:
Debian Release: trixie/sid
APT prefers unstable
APT policy: (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Kernel: Linux 6.11.6-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8),
LANGUAGE not set Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
LSM: AppArmor: enabled
Versions of packages apt depends on:
ii adduser 3.137
ii base-passwd 3.6.5
ii debian-archive-keyring 2023.4
ii gpgv 2.2.45-2
ii libapt-pkg6.0t64 2.9.10
ii libc6 2.40-3
ii libgcc-s1 14.2.0-8
ii libgnutls30t64 3.8.6-2+b1
ii libseccomp2 2.5.5-1+b2
ii libstdc++6 14.2.0-8
ii libsystemd0 256.7-3
Versions of packages apt recommends:
ii ca-certificates 20240203
Versions of packages apt suggests:
pn apt-doc <none>
ii aptitude 0.8.13-6.1
pn dpkg-dev <none>
ii gnupg 2.2.45-2
pn powermgmt-base <none>
ii synaptic 0.91.3+b1
-- no debconf information
