[Bug 815562] [NEW] Difficult to know why we can't find signing_key_fingerprint for a PPA

[Jo-Erlend Schinstad]

Public bug reported:

I've created a PPA, but I haven't uploaded anything yet. On my development machine I tried to add the PPA using apt-apt-repository and I got the following error message: 
«Error: can't find signing_key_fingerprint at https://launchpad.net/api/1.0/~joerlend.schinstad/+archive/testing»

I thought I'd done something wrong, so I asked in #Launchpad where it
was explained to me that keys aren't generated until the first upload.
That sounds reasonable, but I think it should be easier to know why add-
apt-repository fails. I also think it should be explained in pages like
this one: https://help.launchpad.net/Packaging/PPA/InstallingSoftware

** Affects: software-properties (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/815562

Title:
  Difficult to know why we can't find signing_key_fingerprint for a PPA

Status in “software-properties” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I've created a PPA, but I haven't uploaded anything yet. On my development machine I tried to add the PPA using apt-apt-repository and I got the following error message: 
  «Error: can't find signing_key_fingerprint at https://launchpad.net/api/1.0/~joerlend.schinstad/+archive/testing»

  I thought I'd done something wrong, so I asked in #Launchpad where it
  was explained to me that keys aren't generated until the first upload.
  That sounds reasonable, but I think it should be easier to know why
  add-apt-repository fails. I also think it should be explained in pages
  like this one:
  https://help.launchpad.net/Packaging/PPA/InstallingSoftware

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