Whether it's a bug in apt or in something used by apt doesn't really make a difference from an end user perspective. Can this bug be reopened as a dpkg bug, then, or should I report that as a new bug?
-- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to apt in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1904195 Title: apt cancels holds on uninstalled packages Status in apt package in Ubuntu: Invalid Bug description: When a package is not installed and apt dist-upgrade offers to install it, if this is not desired, it is possible to hold the package using multiple tools, which puts it in a state documented in dpkg.1 as: hold A package marked to be on hold is kept on the same version, that is, no automatic new installs, upgrades or removals will be performed on them, unless these actions are requested explicitly, or are permitted to be done automatically with the --force-hold option. Note the "no automatic new installs", suggesting that this is a correct and valid use for packages that are not installed. I use "apt- mark hold" to put packages in this state. This is respected by apt when choosing what to install, but any installation causes this state to be lost for uninstalled packages, even installations of completely unrelated packages. Steps to reproduce: - Add a repository to sources.list that adds new essential packages, and run `apt update`. - Observe that `apt dist-upgrade` will want to install new packages. - Put the packages on hold, using `apt-mark hold <package>`. - Observe that `apt dist-upgrade` will no longer want to install new packages. - Install an unrelated package. - Observe that `apt dist-upgrade` will again want to install new packages. Seen on Ubuntu 20.10, apt 2.1.10. To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1904195/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages Post to : touch-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
