** Description changed: [Impact] * Inability to use aptitude on multi-arch systems. Any action which results in a packaging conflict, or otherwise broken package, invokes the problem resolver which will proceed to remove *all* foreign-arch packages. The packages are removed always, even if they are unrelated to the problem being resolved. In the usual case, the problem resolver is unable to find any solution which does not involve removing all foreign- arch packages. * Complete lack of upstream support for aptitude, regardless of whether any specific issue appears to be related to multi-arch. Upstream does not provide any support for aptitude where it is installed on a multi-arch system unless all of these conditions are met: - it is at least version 0.6.6; and - attached multiarch-conflicts.patch is applied. At this point Ubuntu is 100% provider of support for aptitude on - Oneiric, Precise, and Quantal. + Oneiric, and Precise. [Fix] As attached. Update the problem resolver to be more informed about multi-arch packages and specifically the implicit package relations associated with them. [Test Case] 1. Enable multiarch (should be automatic on new oneiric systems) 2. Install an i386 package on amd64 (like flashplugin-installer:i386) 3. Mark something with a lot of dependencies for installation 4. On the confirmation screen, try to remove on of the dependencies (aptitude will now fail to perform upgrades when there's a package conflict w/out removing the i386 libs) This renders aptitude painful on a multiarch enabled system (default in oneiric). [Workaround] 1. If you can survive without 32 bit libraries, just comment out the single line in /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/multiarch; or 2. Use another package manager (e.g. apt-get, synaptic, or Software Center) 3. Disable the problem resolver by adding this line in /etc/apt/apt.conf: Aptitude::ProblemResolver::StepLimit "0"; [Regression Potential] * Patch is of moderate size but requires someone with strong APT knowledge to verify. * Some package relations, particularly conflicts and breaks, may be wrongly ignored and packages not identified as broken by aptitude. This can leave a system in a broken state and/or result in dpkg errors. * Any complex dependency situation is potentially handled incorrectly. - * Already in Wheezy and Sid, suitable for Quantal. + * Already in Wheezy, Sid, and Quantal. No regressions reported. + + * Multiple user confirmations that the patch works on aptitude 0.6.6. ** Do not even consider applying this patch to SRU without it being first thoroughly inspected by a seasoned APT person. If you have never looked deep in to the workings of, say, class pkgProblemResolver (libapt-pkg) or the aptitude problem resolver, then you are probably underqualified to inspect the patch. ** * None of the regression potential has any consideration given to Ubuntu-specific factors. An Ubuntu dev. should consider reviewing and updating as appropriate, at least to remove this notice. [Original Report] ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10 Package: aptitude 0.6.4-1ubuntu2 Architecture: amd64
** Patch added: "precise.debdiff" https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/precise/+source/aptitude/+bug/831768/+attachment/3427352/+files/precise.debdiff -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/831768 Title: aptitude cannot handle conflicts with multiarch enabled To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/aptitude/+bug/831768/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs