[Bug 1598810] Re: `apt-get install python3.4` on xenial exits 0 despite python3.4 not being available

[Dan Watkins]

apt doesn't _install_ the package matching the pattern[0], because the
only place it is mentioned is in the Breaks of a completely unrelated
package; it isn't available to install.  So the user has asked for
something to be installed, and there is nothing matching their criteria
available to install, and you're saying that apt shouldn't treat this as
an error?

(Returning this to New, because I don't think you realised that the
package that apt found wasn't installable.)


[0] The greedy pattern matching that apt employs by default _is_ terrible user experience, but that's not what I'm asking to be fixed here.

** Changed in: apt (Ubuntu)
       Status: Opinion => New

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to apt in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1598810

Title:
  `apt-get install python3.4` on xenial exits 0 despite python3.4 not
  being available

Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  As per [0], `apt-get install python3.4` won't raise an error (despite
  the package not existing in xenial, and no installation happening),
  but `apt-get install not-a-real-package` will.  I would expect the
  behaviour to be the same in both cases.

  This may cause issues for users upgrading from trusty to xenial.  If
  someone is running a Python application that relies on Python 3.4,
  their automation may run "apt-get install python3.4" to ensure that
  Python 3.4 is available, expecting it to raise an error if python3.4
  does not end up installed.  It won't, and they will then unexpectedly
  be running 3.5.

  [0] http://paste.ubuntu.com/18443198/

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1598810/+subscriptions