Just an FYI. `apt`, `apt-get`, `dpkg` etc are all package tools that share a package database, so your installation of a package with dpkg is linked to apt- get & like package tools.
To view reference details about commands, I'd suggest trying the `man` command which will view the manual (reference) pages on your system (these can be viewed with a browser too; eg. http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/bionic/man8/apt-get.8.html), or perhaps you could try the Ubuntu wiki - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AptGet/Howto or search online for guides... -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to apt in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1887277 Title: apt-get install REMOVES packages without replacing them and with barely any warning Status in apt package in Ubuntu: Invalid Bug description: I did: $ sudo apt-get install ettercap-common (by the way I don't even know what that is, but it is one of a few packages being "held back" by apt and that prevents me from upgrading from 18.04 to 20.04. Since apt itself doesn't give me a clue what to do and there doesn't seem to be a guide anywhere, I'm blindly trying stuff) and I got: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required: [...] Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them. The following additional packages will be installed: ettercap-graphical libcurl4 The following packages will be REMOVED: libcurl3 php7.2-curl virtualbox-6.0 <<<<< NOTE THIS !!!!!!!!!! The following NEW packages will be installed: libcurl4 The following packages will be upgraded: ettercap-common ettercap-graphical 2 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 3 to remove and 6 not upgraded. I didn't notice the part that said that some apparently unrelated packages, one of which I had installed manually (Virtual Box) would be removed. Technically it asked me for confirmation, but it was in the middle of a bunch of other much more trivial stuff, and you can't just put "REMOVE" in caps and expect me to notice it. If an INSTALL command is going to UNINSTALL something that huge (not just a library that had been installed automatically and is no longer required, but an entire application that I installed manually!), you must give a very specific and explicit prompt (defaulting to No rather than Yes) with a gigantic warning, something like: ************************************************** * !!!!!!!! A T T E N T I O N !!!!!!!! * * * * The following packages will be REMOVED * * * * and NO SUITABLE REPLACEMENT will be installed * * * ************************************************** Are you REALLY sure you wish to continue? [y/N] (possibly red and blinking) NEVER before, in my entire life, have I ever seen an instance where "apt-get INSTALL" would REMOVE packages without at the same time replacing them with some more recent version or something, and even that is rare. I can't see a reason why the installation of a package would require the removal of another, unless it is to replace it with something that supersedes it. Usually the list of stuff, that you're asked confirmation for when running "apt-get install", only includes stuff to be installed, upgraded and left untouched, never removed, so I'm used to responding "Yes" almost automatically. Here's the rest of the output ------------- $ sudo apt-get install ettercap-common Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required: gdal-data libaec0 libaio1 libarmadillo8 libarpack2 libcharls1 libdap25 libdapclient6v5 libepsilon1 libfreexl1 libfyba0 libgeos-3.6.2 libgeos-c1v5 libgeotiff2 libgsasl7 libhdf4-0-alt libhdf5-100 libieee1284-3:i386 libkmlbase1 libkmldom1 libkmlengine1 libkyotocabinet16v5 libminizip1 libnetcdf13 libntlm0 libogdi3.2 libopencv-core3.2 libopencv-imgproc3.2 libopencv-ml3.2 libopencv-video3.2 libproj12 libqhull7 libsdl-ttf2.0-0 libsocket++1 libspatialite7 libsuperlu5 libsz2 liburiparser1 linux-image-4.4.0-142-generic mailutils-common odbcinst odbcinst1debian2 proj-bin proj-data Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them. The following additional packages will be installed: ettercap-graphical libcurl4 The following packages will be REMOVED: libcurl3 php7.2-curl virtualbox-6.0 The following NEW packages will be installed: libcurl4 The following packages will be upgraded: ettercap-common ettercap-graphical 2 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 3 to remove and 6 not upgraded. Need to get 1.178 kB of archives. After this operation, 248 MB disk space will be freed. Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y Get:1 http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 ettercap-graphical amd64 1:0.8.2-10build4 [193 kB] Get:2 http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 ettercap-common amd64 1:0.8.2-10build4 [771 kB] Get:3 http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 libcurl4 amd64 7.58.0-2ubuntu3.9 [214 kB] Fetched 1.178 kB in 1s (1.531 kB/s) (Reading database ... 329793 files and directories currently installed.) Removing virtualbox-6.0 (6.0.22-137980~Ubuntu~xenial) ... (Reading database ... 328959 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../ettercap-graphical_1%3a0.8.2-10build4_amd64.deb ... Unpacking ettercap-graphical (1:0.8.2-10build4) over (1:0.8.2-2ubuntu1.16.04.1) ... Preparing to unpack .../ettercap-common_1%3a0.8.2-10build4_amd64.deb ... Unpacking ettercap-common (1:0.8.2-10build4) over (1:0.8.2-2ubuntu1.16.04.1) ... (Reading database ... 328957 files and directories currently installed.) Removing php7.2-curl (7.2.32-1+ubuntu16.04.1+deb.sury.org+1) ... Removing libcurl3:amd64 (7.58.0-2ubuntu2) ... Selecting previously unselected package libcurl4:amd64. (Reading database ... 328943 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../libcurl4_7.58.0-2ubuntu3.9_amd64.deb ... Unpacking libcurl4:amd64 (7.58.0-2ubuntu3.9) ... Setting up libcurl4:amd64 (7.58.0-2ubuntu3.9) ... Setting up ettercap-common (1:0.8.2-10build4) ... Setting up ettercap-graphical (1:0.8.2-10build4) ... Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.23-1ubuntu3.18.04.2) ... Processing triggers for bamfdaemon (0.5.3+18.04.20180207.2-0ubuntu1) ... Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index... Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.27-3ubuntu1.2) ... /sbin/ldconfig.real: Warning: ignoring configuration file that cannot be opened: /etc/ld.so.conf.d/nvidia_settings.conf: No such file or directory Processing triggers for udev (237-3ubuntu10.41) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.8.3-2ubuntu0.1) ... Processing triggers for shared-mime-info (1.9-2) ... Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-11ubuntu1.1) ... Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ... Processing triggers for mime-support (3.60ubuntu1) ... ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04 Package: apt 1.6.12ubuntu0.1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-109.110-generic 4.15.18 Uname: Linux 4.15.0-109-generic x86_64 NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.15 Architecture: amd64 CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME Date: Sun Jul 12 11:43:38 2020 InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-11 (2465 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424) SourcePackage: apt UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1887277/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages Post to : touch-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
