[Bug 1869721] Re: Apt error message gives incorrect syntax

[psl]

This is from Mint 19.3 (based on Ubuntu 18.04), "apt --fix-broken
install" is just not correct, please, fix this cosmetic bug...

# apt version apt
1.6.12ubuntu0.2


# apt --fix-broken install
apt
Usage: apt command [options]
       apt help command [options]

Commands:
  add-repository   - Add entries to apt sources.list
  autoclean        - Erase old downloaded archive files
  autoremove       - Remove automatically all unused packages

This works:

# apt install --fix-broken
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1869721

Title:
  Apt error message gives incorrect syntax

Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  in Apt, when trying to reinstall or remove problem packages, if the
  process is unable to run, it says there are unmet dependencies.  It
  then suggest a command to run to fix the problems.  This would be the
  proper procedure for this, however the suggested command it provides
  is wrong.

  
  $ lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia
  Release:	19.3

  apt:
    Installed: 1.6.12
    Candidate: 1.6.12
    Version table:
   *** 1.6.12 500
          500 http://mirrors.tripadvisor.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
       1.6.6ubuntu0.1 500
          500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main amd64 Packages
       1.6.1 500
          500 http://mirrors.tripadvisor.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages

  Expected behavior:

  failed reinstall/uninstall command should show correct syntax for
  recommended command.  In this case it should be "apt install --fix-
  broken", or "sudo apt install --fix-broken" (verified myself by
  running that command).

  
  Actual behavior:

  output from failed command ended with
  "E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution)."
  Running the command as it is shown there results in apt giving a syntax summary, rather than running the intended command.
  It was only by guessing at alternative formats on the command that got it to work.  The format as shown in the incorrect example would have seemed more logical, as the older apt-get equivalent was "apt-get -f install", with the option switch before the command.

  It is up to the devs to decide whether the switch before or after the
  command is correct, just as long as the correct and functional form is
  shown in the error.

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