[Reportbug-maint] Bug#777393: reportbug: package status determined from dpkg's desired state instead of current one

[Jens Seidel]

Package: reportbug
Version: 6.6.3
Severity: normal

Hi,

I filed bug #777387 using reportbug which contains:

Versions of packages network-manager-gnome depends on:
pn  network-manager                              <none>

That's strange, I know this package is installed. The problem is:

# dpkg -l network-manager
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
|
Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name            Version     Architecture Description
+++-===============-==========-================================================================
ri  network-manager 0.9.10.0-5  amd64 network management framework (daemon and userspace tools)

So obviously reportbug uses the wrong status of the package, namely the
desired state instead of the current one.

I don't know why network-manager is considered for removal but assume it
was the result of a conflict resolution in aptitude which suggested to
remove the package (among many others). Afterwards I think I selected "Cancel pending actions".

Also in the following package dependence list (a few lines below) is a different error:
pn  python:any        <none>

aptitude tells me that python resolves this dependence, which is
installed: "ii  python".

Jens

-- Package-specific info:

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 8.0
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 3.17.0+ (SMP w/4 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=de_DE.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=de_DE.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages reportbug depends on:
ii  apt               1.0.9.6
ii  python            2.7.8-2
ii  python-reportbug  6.6.3
pn  python:any        <none>

reportbug recommends no packages.

Versions of packages reportbug suggests:
pn  claws-mail                                 <none>
ii  debconf-utils                              1.5.55
ii  debsums                                    2.0.52+nmu3
pn  dlocate                                    <none>
pn  emacs23-bin-common | emacs24-bin-common    <none>
ii  exim4                                      4.84-6
ii  exim4-daemon-light [mail-transport-agent]  4.84-6
ii  file                                       1:5.20-2
ii  gnupg                                      1.4.18-6
ii  python-gtk2                                2.24.0-4
pn  python-gtkspell                            <none>
pn  python-urwid                               <none>
ii  python-vte                                 1:0.28.2-5
ii  xdg-utils                                  1.1.0~rc1+git20111210-7.3

Versions of packages python-reportbug depends on:
ii  apt               1.0.9.6
ii  python-debian     0.1.25
ii  python-debianbts  1.12
pn  python:any        <none>

python-reportbug suggests no packages.

-- no debconf information