Bug#1061148: apt: option -a has several meanings and is unusable

[Vincent Lefevre <vincent@vinc17.net>]

Package: apt
Version: 2.7.9
Severity: normal

In the apt-get(8) man page:

       apt-get [-asqdyfmubV] [-o=config_string] [-c=config_file]
               [-t=target_release] [-a=architecture] {update | upgrade |
               dselect-upgrade | dist-upgrade |
               install pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]...  |
               remove pkg...  | purge pkg...  |
               source pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]...  |
               build-dep pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]...  |
               download pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]...  |
               check | clean | autoclean | autoremove | {-v | --version} |
               {-h | --help}}

So option -a appears both as a single option -a and as -a=architecture.

In the apt(8) man page, only the second form is listed, but for both
commands, it is unusable:

# apt-get -a=i386 install libfontconfig-dev
E: Command line option 'a' [from -a=i386] is not understood in combination with the other options.

# apt -a=i386 install libfontconfig-dev
E: Command line option 'a' [from -a=i386] is not understood in combination with the other options.

-- Package-specific info:

-- (no /etc/apt/preferences present) --


-- (/etc/apt/preferences.d/no-adobe-flash-plugin present, but not submitted) --


-- (/etc/apt/preferences.d/no-pipewire present, but not submitted) --


-- (/etc/apt/sources.list present, but not submitted) --


-- (/etc/apt/sources.list.d/local-i386.list present, but not submitted) --


-- System Information:
Debian Release: trixie/sid
  APT prefers unstable-debug
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable-debug'), (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable-security'), (500, 'stable-debug'), (500, 'proposed-updates-debug'), (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing'), (500, 'stable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Foreign Architectures: i386

Kernel: Linux 6.6.11-amd64 (SMP w/12 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Kernel taint flags: TAINT_PROPRIETARY_MODULE, TAINT_OOT_MODULE, TAINT_UNSIGNED_MODULE
Locale: LANG=C.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=C.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
LSM: AppArmor: enabled

Versions of packages apt depends on:
ii  adduser                 3.137
ii  base-passwd             3.6.3
ii  debian-archive-keyring  2023.4
ii  gpgv                    2.2.40-1.1+b1
ii  libapt-pkg6.0           2.7.9
ii  libc6                   2.37-13
ii  libgcc-s1               13.2.0-9
ii  libgnutls30             3.8.3-1
ii  libseccomp2             2.5.5-1
ii  libstdc++6              13.2.0-9
ii  libsystemd0             255.2-4

Versions of packages apt recommends:
ii  ca-certificates  20230311

Versions of packages apt suggests:
ii  apt-doc         2.7.9
ii  aptitude        0.8.13-5+b1
ii  dpkg-dev        1.22.2
ii  gnupg           2.2.40-1.1
ii  powermgmt-base  1.37

-- no debconf information

-- 
Vincent Lefèvre <vincent@vinc17.net> - Web: <https://www.vinc17.net/>
100% accessible validated (X)HTML - Blog: <https://www.vinc17.net/blog/>
Work: CR INRIA - computer arithmetic / AriC project (LIP, ENS-Lyon)