#1145641 apt-listchanges: pip check falsely reports debconf missing due to Python dependency metadata #1145641
- Package:
- apt-listchanges
- Source:
- apt-listchanges
- Submitter:
- Starry Sky
- Date:
- 2026-10-16 10:41:05 UTC
- Severity:
- normal
Dear Maintainer,
On Debian 13 (trixie), running:
python3 -m pip check
reports:
apt-listchanges 4.8 requires debconf, which is not installed.
However, debconf and python3-debconf are both correctly installed:
apt-listchanges: install ok installed 4.8
debconf: install ok installed 1.5.91
python3-debconf: install ok installed 1.5.91
The Python debconf module is also present and imports successfully:
python3 -c 'import debconf; print(debconf.__file__)'
Output:
/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/debconf.py
In addition:
sudo apt-get check
completes successfully without reporting broken Debian package dependencies.
The apparent cause is the Python package metadata of apt-listchanges.
apt-listchanges declares debconf as a Python distribution dependency, but
debconf is provided by Debian and is not installed as a normal PyPI
distribution with metadata that pip recognizes.
As a result, pip check reports debconf as missing even though the Debian
package and Python module are correctly installed.
Expected result:
pip check should not report debconf as missing when the Debian dependency
is correctly satisfied.
Actual result:
pip check reports:
apt-listchanges 4.8 requires debconf, which is not installed.
Please consider adjusting the Python dependency metadata so that the
Debian-specific debconf dependency does not cause this false-positive
pip check result.
No local modifications have been made to the Debian Python packages or
their metadata.
We believe that the bug you reported is fixed in the latest version of
apt-listchanges, which is due to be installed in the Debian FTP archive.
A summary of the changes between this version and the previous one is
attached.
Thank you for reporting the bug, which will now be closed. If you
have further comments please address them to 1145641@bugs.debian.org,
and the maintainer will reopen the bug report if appropriate.
Debian distribution maintenance software
pp.
Jonathan Kamens <jik@kamens.us> (supplier of updated apt-listchanges package)
(This message was generated automatically at their request; if you
believe that there is a problem with it please contact the archive
administrators by mailing ftpmaster@ftp-master.debian.org)
Format: 1.8
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:58:58 -0400
Source: apt-listchanges
Built-For-Profiles: noudeb
Architecture: source
Version: 4.8.1
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: medium
Maintainer: Jonathan Kamens <jik@kamens.us>
Changed-By: Jonathan Kamens <jik@kamens.us>
Closes: 1145641 1150230
Changes:
apt-listchanges (4.8.1) unstable; urgency=medium
.
* Remove debconf from pip dependencies in setup.py, since it's not
actually a pip module. This fixes spurious warnings about
apt-listchanges and debconf from `python3 -m pip check`.
(Closes: #1145641)
.
* Load config file fragments in /etc/apt/listchanges.conf.d in file name
order so they are loaded deterministically. Fix courtesy of Kenichiro
Kakizaki. (Closes: #1150230)
Checksums-Sha1:
b9fbb96a87f91a522fa58bc62837148351b61294 2049 apt-listchanges_4.8.1.dsc
7993517eaf64c84b449f3407bcbe17e882d96e71 488164 apt-listchanges_4.8.1.tar.xz
ce33756886b77a2c45ba2ebd91e621d4eed243dc 8093 apt-listchanges_4.8.1_source.buildinfo
Checksums-Sha256:
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e7f18b595e3b13c407771e90f42c4755b3644309ff601780707423f4229c0022 488164 apt-listchanges_4.8.1.tar.xz
5a9558b712eefd2ae67d58bb7d5397ffdf1cc105d879d4f8c5aa898953166ff0 8093 apt-listchanges_4.8.1_source.buildinfo
Files:
e4e40823edd1ff417c7c72848cc80b08 2049 utils - apt-listchanges_4.8.1.dsc
bb45c01b378a261afc9a2e43b9c80719 488164 utils - apt-listchanges_4.8.1.tar.xz
210ed31681602ecc5a5711f9ee2fe452 8093 utils - apt-listchanges_4.8.1_source.buildinfo
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