[Bug 1247184] [NEW] a smarter apt-get could fix common issues

[vwoodst]

Public bug reported:

I have an idea for a feature request ... when apt-get hits an error, it
queries the repositories with the error code and the package, and gets
back a helpful message or script.


The motivation for this is that when medibuntu shut down the repository, I started getting GnuPG messages, and started messing around with outdated askubuntu forum posts about adding repository keys and clearing the cache and such.  Eventually, I sat down with it and gave the problem my full attention, and found out what was going on.  If I were involved in the project, I would have known long ago that it was coming.  The fix was simple enough.  So it was just a matter of me being informed and taking the time.

So if the message had been 
"The Medibuntu project has been discontinued.  See http://www.medibuntu.org/ for details."
instead of
"E: GPG error: http://packages.medibuntu.org precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: NODATA 1 NODATA 2"
then it would've saved me (and certainly somebody else out there) a bit of time.  The more casual the user, the more time it would save them.

But how can apt-get know to provide such a message?  How is apt-get
supposed to know the status of a project?  A database table somewhere
with an index on ErrorCode/PackageName/RepositoryUrl and two fields
"Message" and "Script"

How about 
> apt-get update --auto-message
queries a central database with the error code, the package name and the repository url, and gets back the latest news, or better yet
> apt-get update --auto-fix
sends the same query, but runs a script that makes a sensible change (eg http://gauvain.pocentek.net/node/61)


An obvious problem is security.   A centralized database that houses scripts that millions of niave Ubuntu users could run to transparenty modify their system?  How could that possibly go wrong?  If it just relayed a message, it could still be quite helpful, but it is strongest if it can run a script and just FIX it.

** Affects: zsh (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: feature-request

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1247184

Title:
  a smarter apt-get could fix common issues

Status in “zsh” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I have an idea for a feature request ... when apt-get hits an error,
  it queries the repositories with the error code and the package, and
  gets back a helpful message or script.

  
  The motivation for this is that when medibuntu shut down the repository, I started getting GnuPG messages, and started messing around with outdated askubuntu forum posts about adding repository keys and clearing the cache and such.  Eventually, I sat down with it and gave the problem my full attention, and found out what was going on.  If I were involved in the project, I would have known long ago that it was coming.  The fix was simple enough.  So it was just a matter of me being informed and taking the time.

  So if the message had been 
  "The Medibuntu project has been discontinued.  See http://www.medibuntu.org/ for details."
  instead of
  "E: GPG error: http://packages.medibuntu.org precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: NODATA 1 NODATA 2"
  then it would've saved me (and certainly somebody else out there) a bit of time.  The more casual the user, the more time it would save them.

  But how can apt-get know to provide such a message?  How is apt-get
  supposed to know the status of a project?  A database table somewhere
  with an index on ErrorCode/PackageName/RepositoryUrl and two fields
  "Message" and "Script"

  How about 
  > apt-get update --auto-message
  queries a central database with the error code, the package name and the repository url, and gets back the latest news, or better yet
  > apt-get update --auto-fix
  sends the same query, but runs a script that makes a sensible change (eg http://gauvain.pocentek.net/node/61)

  
  An obvious problem is security.   A centralized database that houses scripts that millions of niave Ubuntu users could run to transparenty modify their system?  How could that possibly go wrong?  If it just relayed a message, it could still be quite helpful, but it is strongest if it can run a script and just FIX it.

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