On Thu, 2018-09-13 at 18:17 +0200, Tomas Orsava wrote:
> We'd like to propose a new functionality for dnf: When a user tries
> to install a package XYZ and dnf doesn't find it, dnf would recommend
> them alternative packages. These offered packages would advertise
> that they are an alternative for XYZ using a specially formatted
> Provides tag.
> 
> For example, packages `python2-requests` and `python3-requests`
> would both have the following tag:
> 
>      Provides: alternative-for(python-requests) = %{version}-
> %{release}
> 
> (Possibly via the already existing and widespread %python_provide
> macro in the Python case.)
> 
> And when the user would try to install `python-requests`, dnf would
> look for packages with the relevant Provides tag and display them:
> 
>      # dnf install python-requests
>        * There are following alternatives to this package: 
> python2-requests python3-requests
>      No match for argument: python-requests
>      Error: Unable to find a match
> 
> This would be very similar to an already existing functionality that 
> searches for lowercase package names:
> 
>      # dnf install python3-REQUESTS
>        * Maybe you meant: python3-requests
>      No match for argument: python3-REQUESTS
>      Error: Unable to find a match
> 
> (That functionality is broken in some versions—RHBZ#1628514—so you
> might not see this result at the moment.)
> 
> What are your thoughts?

It's neat, but it doesn't help catch typos, which seems like the most
probably case where I'd want such a feature.

How about instead of a scheme based on provides, just quickly check if
a package has a "similar" name?

Basically extend the existing check for lowercase you mention.

  $ git stats
  git: 'stats' is not a git command. See 'git --help'.
  
  The most similar command is
          status


-- 
Mathieu
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