[Bug 1364176] Re: add-apt-repository fails to add repository with no explanation; --massive-debug doesn't show debugging

[Rares Vernica]

I ran into this today. So annoying. I kept getting "Please check that
the PPA name or format is correct." This error message is so
misleading... The Internet is littered with people working around the
"add-apt-repository" script since no one can really figure out the real
reason for this error message.

In my case, I was running this script in a container and had the Docker
DNS in Fedora 32 issue.

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Title:
  add-apt-repository fails to add repository with no explanation;
  --massive-debug doesn't show debugging

Status in software-properties package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Example run:

  paulgear at peleg:~/.juju$ sudo apt-add-repository --massive-debug ppa:juju/stable
  Cannot add PPA: 'ppa:juju/stable'.
  Please check that the PPA name or format is correct.

  This is on a network with egress filtering, and this appears to be the
  cause of the issue.  Running wireshark shows that apt-add-repository
  is attempting a direct connection to launchpad.net on port 443.

  Bugs as I see them:
  1. apt-add-repository requires direct access to Internet
  2. It is undocumented that apt-add-repository requires direct access to Internet
  3. apt-add-repository offers no indication that it has attempted access to the Internet, nor why it failed
  4. Adding --massive-debug offers no diagnostics at all
  5. apt-add-repository doesn't honour the proxy settings in /etc/apt/apt.conf

  Several users have reported this previously, but I couldn't find any matching bug.  References:
  - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1599832
  - http://askubuntu.com/questions/53146/how-do-i-get-add-apt-repository-to-work-through-a-proxy

  Workaround that worked for me:
  - add -E to sudo command to pass environment variables through, which then allows https_proxy to be honoured.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
  Package: software-properties-common 0.92.37.1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-35.62-generic 3.13.11.6
  Uname: Linux 3.13.0-35-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.3
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Tue Sep  2 09:14:43 2014
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: software-properties
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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