#712635 [apt] apt-cache show $packagename spits error on telepathy packages

Package:
apt
Source:
apt
Description:
commandline package manager
Submitter:
Thomas Hackert
Date:
2013-07-26 16:36:08 UTC
Severity:
normal
#712635#5
Date:
2013-06-18 07:15:36 UTC
From:
To:
--- Please enter the report below this line. ---
Hello all,
when I want to get information about a package in apt, I use

<quote>
apt-cache show $packagename
</quote>

. When I try this with telepathy-haze (but also with telepathy-gabble or
-rakia) I get only the message
<quote>
E: Handler silently failed
</quote>

... :( I am not sure, if this is really a bug in apt and/or a bug in
these packages. If I am wrong here, it would be nice someone could
reassign it to the right package ... ;)
Sorry for the inconvenience
Thomas.


Debian Release: jessie/sid
  500 wheezy-pgdg     apt.postgresql.org
  500 unstable        snapshots.ekiga.net
  500 unstable        download.jitsi.org
  500 testing         www.deb-multimedia.org
  500 testing         ftp.de.debian.org
  500 stable          security.debian.org
  500 stable          dl.google.com
  500 stable          deb.opera.com
--- Package information. ---
Depends                       (Version) | Installed
=======================================-+-=============
libapt-pkg4.12             (>= 0.9.8.2) | 0.9.8.2
libc6                         (>= 2.15) | 2.17-3
libgcc1                    (>= 1:4.1.1) | 1:4.8.1-2
libstdc++6                     (>= 4.6) | 4.8.1-2
debian-archive-keyring                  | 2012.4
gnupg                                   | 1.4.12-7


Package's Recommends field is empty.

Suggests        (Version) | Installed
=========================-+-===========
aptitude                  | 0.6.8.2-1
 OR synaptic              | 0.80.2
 OR wajig                 |
dpkg-dev                  | 1.16.10
apt-doc                   |
xz-utils                  | 5.1.1alpha+20120614-2
python-apt                | 0.8.9
--- Output from package bug script ---
#712635#10
Date:
2013-07-26 09:13:20 UTC
From:
To:
Hi Thomas,

Thanks for the report, but while I tried for a while to reproduce this I seem
to be unable to do so. Usually our bugscript would have attached config
and sources which might help to identify what is going on here.

But it would also be nice if you could try current unstable versions as they
introduce some changes to the 'show' code, which might have fixed this
as a by-product.


Best regards

David Kalnischkies

#712635#15
Date:
2013-07-26 13:06:56 UTC
From:
To:
Hello David, *,

did you try
<quote>
apt-cache show telepathy-haze
</quote>
? I still get this error ... :(

Which "unstable versions" do you mean? From apt and its dependencies?
Have a nice day
Thomas.

#712635#20
Date:
2013-07-26 13:55:20 UTC
From:
To:
mhh. I tried "apt-cache show telepathy-haze" and it has all the usual
output and just to be sure I tried it again and all fine in my de local as
well as with LANG=C or anything else I could come up with.

Can you post the output of "apt-config dump" and attach your
/etc/apt/sources.list(.d/) files?

Usually reportbug should have asked you to do that (or even asked you
 if it is allowed to do that automatically).

I mean apt and libapt-* from "Debian unstable", but we are not in a hurry and
I don't want to suggest adding this repository if you haven't configured it,
just misread the versionnumber and thought you were an unstable user already.
The new version should be in "Debian testing" in a couple of days as well.


Best regards

David Kalnischkies

#712635#25
Date:
2013-07-26 16:32:48 UTC
From:
To:
Hello David, *,
[apt-cache show error message]

O.K.

Is it O.K. to attach them to this mail? I hope, they goes through ... ;)

I am not sure, if it asked me, but if I look at
http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=712635, I see some info
about my system. Was this not enough?

Ah, O.K. Thanks for your explanation :) I will attached the zipped
apt-cache dump file as well as a tar.bz2 file with my
/etc/apt/sources.list(.d) files :)
Thanks for your interest in my bug
Thomas.