Package: debian-reference Version: 2.46 There are various errors in the documentation in chapter 2. Also the manpages. I'd have had aptitude, and apt-get on the package list here also but don't know if you can file a bug against multiple packages at once.
------------------------------------------------------------- Error 1: An issue which isn't documented but should be very loudly and clearly is the danger of removing a dependency of a metapackage. Read here for more information and an example of why: http://tanguy.ortolo.eu/blog/article8/ Furthermore people should be warned to be careful any time they use aptitude remove after apt-get remove because that could also wind up hosing literally half their system. As I found out here( http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=661188 ) aptitude remove isn't a recursive remove but an apt-get remove followed by an autoremove. This can again cause problems for less experienced users who are the most vulnerable in this situation. Frankly people should be encouraged to use aptitude whenever possible. Because if they use it from the start install recursively installs and remove(which is of course apt-get remove && apt-get autoremove) effectively recursively removes. All in all that way it will work and feel almost like a command line app store. I want program I install. I don't want I remove. Simple beautiful period. Also people should be warned after removing applications graphically via synaptic and the software manager taken from Ubuntu because both use apt-get remove. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Error 2: As can be seen from the bug report to which I linked aptitude purge recursively removes but does not purge. This of course can cause a user confusion. As I wrote there(refer to link if more context needed): "Also while you say that the current behavior is a safeguard and I do agree partially the current behavior will also confuse new users. At some point in time much like me they're reading the documentation, they learn to use remove in case they wish to reinstall the package and keep current configuration, they learn to use purge if they want it gone period or if they want a fresh start for whatever reason. Say they go "aptitude purge <package>" wanting to then install with a fresh start. The messed up conf file belonging to some dependency isn't removed. After purging they install again, it's not how they remembered it to be at first, confusion ensues... The way the documentation is worded users will understand the consequences of purge. They think remove means keep configuration just in case and purge means clean it I want a fresh start. Yet aptitude behaves differently then described. Many simply may not figure out what's happening in such a situation." Of course the current behavior is fine so long as users know to pass --purge-unused to aptitude purge. But this is at best mentioned very vaguely. What the documentation should say very explicitly is something along the lines of: 1. If you want to remove <package> and remove orphans simply go "aptitude remove <package>". 2. If you want to remove <package> and purge orphans simply go "aptitude remove --purge-unused <package>". 3. If you want to purge <package> and remove orphans simply go "aptitude purge <package>". 4. If you want to purge <package> and purge orphans simply go "aptitude purge --purge-unused <package>". ------------------------------------------------------------------- Error 3: Unlike apt-get aptitude's man page clusters and poorly describes the actions remove, purge, hold, unhold, keep, and reinstall as opposed to separating and carefully describing them all. This must change. -------------------------------------------------------------- Also users should be warned to look at apt's output properly because of course those are best practices. The best package manager is of course always your brain. However a good program should NEVER put the burden on the user unless they want more explicit fine grained control. Being very accurately and unambiguously documented is also part of the never burdening the user to guess and check. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
