[Reportbug-maint] Bug#666469: Bug#666469: reportbug: reports bug assigned to the wrong package (multi-arch problem?)

[Raphael Hertzog]

On Thu, 12 Apr 2012, Sandro Tosi wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 12, 2012 at 08:13, Raphael Hertzog <hertzog at debian.org> wrote:
> > But it's probably serious because it doesn't work on a large set of
> > packages provided by Debian...
> 
> but arguably on a small set of machine (those with m-a enabled).

No, it doesn't matter whether you have a foreign arch enabled or not.
Multi-Arch: same packages are always qualified with their architecture
in dpkg's output (starting with dpkg 1.16.2).

However it will only refuse the unqualified name when you have 2 arches
installed for a given package (i.e. "dpkg -s libc6" will work if you have
only libc6:386 but it will break if you have libc6:i386 and libc6:amd64).

> > It can be argued that the mistake is made by the user... but
> > it would be wise for reportbug to detect it and let the user
> > choose the right variant ASAP.
> 
> Ok, how do you propose to do it? i.e. what if the user insert <pkg>
> while it actually wants <pkg>:<a1> while he has <pkg>:<a1>, <pkg>:<a2>
> and <pkg>:<a3> installed? what's the correct what to translate <pkg>
> into the list <pkg>:<a1>, <pkg>:<a2> and <pkg>:<a3> (or in the simple
> case, <pkg>:<a1>)? some dpkg querying function (<pkg>:* ? anything
> better?) ?

$ dpkg-query -W libc6:*
libc6:amd64 2.13-27
libc6:i386  2.13-27

But in most cases, I believe it's best to not ask the user and
automatically try with "package:<native-arch>" by default. Or maybe
only ask in expert mode... you can emit a warning saying that
other arches were installed and that the user could have given an
arch qualifier to remove the ambiguity.

> I'd say: keep the arch qualify until the end, and strip it just before
> preparing the template for editing, correct?

Right.

> # dpkg --search /lib/i386-linux-gnu/libc.so.6
> libc6:i386: /lib/i386-linux-gnu/libc.so.6
> 
> where splitting on ':' used to work fine, while now it's not enough
> anymore (it will have to be ': ' at least)

Indeed.

Cheers,
-- 
Raphaël Hertzog ◈ Debian Developer

Pre-order a copy of the Debian Administrator's Handbook and help
liberate it: http://debian-handbook.info/liberation/