[Bug 174876] Re: apt-get/aptitude repeatedly downloads the same packages

[Timothy R. Chavez]

The bug task for the somerville project has been removed by an automated
script.  This bug has been cloned on that project and is available here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1305473

** No longer affects: somerville

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Title:
  apt-get/aptitude repeatedly downloads the same packages

Status in APT:
  Fix Released
Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: apt

  I think this is similar to http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-
  bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=351056

  Using the repositories on linux.dell.com, apt-get seems to believe the
  version of system-bios-* packages available in the repository are
  newer than the package already installed, even though they're the same
  version.

  
  root at mdomsch-pws380:~# apt-get dist-upgrade
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree       
  Reading state information... Done
  Calculating upgrade... Done
  The following packages have been kept back:
    gnome-orca ubuntu-desktop
  The following packages will be upgraded:
    system-bios-poweredge-2950 system-bios-ven-0x1028-dev-0x01a8
  2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded.
  Need to get 0B/757kB of archives.
  After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.
  Do you want to continue [Y/n]?     
  (Reading database ... 194553 files and directories currently installed.)
  Preparing to replace system-bios-poweredge-2950 1.5.1-1 (using .../system-bios-poweredge-2950_0%3a1.5.1-1_all.deb) ...
  Unpacking replacement system-bios-poweredge-2950 ...
  Preparing to replace system-bios-ven-0x1028-dev-0x01a8 0.a09-1 (using .../system-bios-ven-0x1028-dev-0x01a8_0%3a0.a09-1_all.deb) ...
  Unpacking replacement system-bios-ven-0x1028-dev-0x01a8 ...
  Setting up system-bios-poweredge-2950 (1.5.1-1) ...

  Setting up system-bios-ven-0x1028-dev-0x01a8 (0.a09-1) ...

  Processing triggers for firmware-tools ...
  Config does not specify automatic install during package install.
  Please run update_firmware manually to install updates.

  
  Notice: it installed two system-bios-* packages.  Now, run upgrade again:

  root at mdomsch-pws380:~# apt-get dist-upgrade
  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree       
  Reading state information... Done
  Calculating upgrade... Done
  The following packages have been kept back:
    gnome-orca ubuntu-desktop
  The following packages will be upgraded:
    system-bios-poweredge-2950 system-bios-ven-0x1028-dev-0x01a8
  2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded.
  Need to get 0B/757kB of archives.
  After unpacking 0B of additional disk space will be used.

  Notice it wants to install them _again_.  Repeat indefinitely.

  This happens with apt-get, aptitude, and synaptic believes the system
  is always in need of update too.

  Instructions for setting up a Dell system to use the repositories:

  wget -q -O - http://linux.dell.com/repo/firmware/bootstrap.cgi | bash
    aptitude install firmware-addon-dell
    aptitude install $(bootstrap_firmware -a)
    update_firmware

  For a non-Dell system (it should be producible there too), you can add these lines to /etc/apt/sources.list:
  deb http://linux.dell.com/repo hardy dell-software
  deb-src http://linux.dell.com/repo hardy dell-software
  deb http://linux.dell.com/repo cross-distro dell-firmware

  I've tried the patch noted in the Debian bug, to no avail.  I've gone
  over and over the template spec file used to generate these system-
  bios-* packages, and compared the Package files in the apt-ftparchive
  with other repositories, but see no difference there, which is why I
  believe it's related to the Debian bug.

  Any advice to avoid this would be appreciated.

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