The screen output when using the command-line 'aptitude -V full-upgrade' command is extremely difficult to read since the items to be upgraded are presented in a manner designed to fill the entire screen. Compare this with the output of 'apt-get -V dist-upgrade', which places the items one per line with the TO/FROM versions listed.

I like to use -V when doing an 'upgrade' or 'dist-upgrade' so that I can see what packages are changing by how big of a version number, but aptitude's output is impossible to read. Since I use the package hold functionality provided only by aptitude, my current workflow involves running 'apt-get -V dist-upgrade' to inspect version upgrades, and then using 'aptitude -V full-upgrade' to actually effect the changes.

Please consider having aptitude's output resemble apt-get's output when using -V.


Compare:

apt-get:

timmy2000:/home/tgokcen# apt-get dist-upgrade -V
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
   openoffice.org-kde (3.0.1-9)
The following NEW packages will be installed
   geoip-database (1.4.6.dfsg-6)
   ghostscript-cups (8.64~dfsg-13)
   grub-legacy (0.97-55)
   imagemagick-doc (6.5.1.0-1.1)
   latex-xft-fonts (0.1-8)
   libc-ares2 (1.6.0-2)
   libcolamd2.7.1 (3.4.0-1)
   libgeoip1 (1.4.6.dfsg-6)
   liblqr-1-0 (0.4.1-1)
   libmagickcore2 (6.5.1.0-1.1)
   libmagickwand2 (6.5.1.0-1.1)
   libsmi2-common (0.4.8+dfsg-1)
   libsmi2ldbl (0.4.8+dfsg-1)
   xfonts-mathml (2)
The following packages will be upgraded:
   akonadi-kde (4.2.2-1 => 4.2.4-1)
   akregator (4.2.2-1 => 4.2.4-1)
   amor (4.2.2-1 => 4.2.4-2)
   binutils (2.19.1-1 => 2.19.51.20090723-1)
   blinken (4.2.2-1+b2 => 4.2.4-1)
   cpp-4.3 (4.3.3-13 => 4.3.3-14)
   cups (1.3.10-2 => 1.3.11-1)
   cups-bsd (1.3.10-2 => 1.3.11-1)
   cups-client (1.3.10-2 => 1.3.11-1)
   cups-common (1.3.10-2 => 1.3.11-1)
   cupsys-client (1.3.10-2 => 1.3.11-1)
   cupsys-common (1.3.10-2 => 1.3.11-1)
   dhcp3-client (3.1.1-6 => 3.1.2p1-1)
   dhcp3-common (3.1.1-6 => 3.1.2p1-1)
   exuberant-ctags (5.7-4 => 5.8-1)
   g++-4.3 (4.3.3-13 => 4.3.3-14)
   gcc-4.3 (4.3.3-13 => 4.3.3-14)
   gcc-4.3-base (4.3.3-13 => 4.3.3-14)
   gconf2 (2.26.2-1 => 2.26.2-3)
   gconf2-common (2.26.2-1 => 2.26.2-3)
   ghostscript (8.64~dfsg-12 => 8.64~dfsg-13)
   (...)


aptitude:
timmy2000:/home/tgokcen# aptitude dist-upgrade -V
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Reading extended state information
Initializing package states... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  geoip-database{a} [1.4.6.dfsg-6]  ghostscript-cups{a} [8.64~dfsg-13]  grub-legacy{a} [0.97-55]  imagemagick-doc{a} [7:6.5.1.0-1.1]
  latex-xft-fonts{a} [0.1-8]  libc-ares2{a} [1.6.0-2]  libcolamd2.7.1{a} [1:3.4.0-1]  libgeoip1{a} [1.4.6.dfsg-6]  liblqr-1-0{a} [0.4.1-1]
  libmagickcore2{a} [7:6.5.1.0-1.1]  libmagickwand2{a} [7:6.5.1.0-1.1]  libsmi2-common{a} [0.4.8+dfsg-1]  libsmi2ldbl{a} [0.4.8+dfsg-1]
  xfonts-mathml{a} [2]
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  gksu{u} [2.0.2-2+b1]  libadns1{u} [1.4-2]  libcolamd-3.2.0{u} [1:3.2.0-4]  libgksu2-0{u} [2.0.12-1]  libgtop2-7{u} [2.26.1-1]
  libgtop2-common{u} [2.26.1-1]  libmagick10{u} [7:6.3.7.9.dfsg2-1]  libusb-1.0-0{u} [2:1.0.0-1]  openoffice.org-kde{a} [1:3.0.1-9]
  openoffice.org-writer2latex{u} [0.5.0.2-4]  sudo{u} [1.7.0-1]
The following packages will be upgraded:
  akonadi-kde [4:4.2.2-1 -> 4:4.2.4-1]  akregator [4:4.2.2-1 -> 4:4.2.4-1]  amor [4:4.2.2-1 -> 4:4.2.4-2]  binutils [2.19.1-1 -> 2.19.51.20090723-1]
  blinken [4:4.2.2-1+b2 -> 4:4.2.4-1]  cpp-4.3 [4.3.3-13 -> 4.3.3-14]  cups [1.3.10-2 -> 1.3.11-1]  cups-bsd [1.3.10-2 -> 1.3.11-1]
  cups-client [1.3.10-2 -> 1.3.11-1]  cups-common [1.3.10-2 -> 1.3.11-1]  cupsys-client [1.3.10-2 -> 1.3.11-1]  cupsys-common [1.3.10-2 -> 1.3.11-1]
  dhcp3-client [3.1.1-6 -> 3.1.2p1-1]  dhcp3-common [3.1.1-6 -> 3.1.2p1-1]  exuberant-ctags [1:5.7-4 -> 1:5.8-1]  g++-4.3 [4.3.3-13 -> 4.3.3-14]
  gcc-4.3 [4.3.3-13 -> 4.3.3-14]  gcc-4.3-base [4.3.3-13 -> 4.3.3-14]  gconf2 [2.26.2-1 -> 2.26.2-3]  gconf2-common [2.26.2-1 -> 2.26.2-3]
  ghostscript [8.64~dfsg-12 -> 8.64~dfsg-13]

#319575
#540081

Just noting here that these two are very similar but just shy of a
merge.  If you do one and you can pretty easy do the other.

cmdline/cmdline_util.cc (cmdline_show_stringlist and friends) is
roughly where the changes would go.

I took a stab at adding a configuration option for one-package-per-line
output. I'm not sure if adding a configuration option is the best way to
(though it certainly works for me), and I imagine the documentation also
needs to be updated if this is accepted.