Package: apt Version: 0.5.14 Severity: normal File: /usr/bin/apt-cache I was trying to query a different sourcelist for a particular package without changing my /etc/apt/sources.list. So I seem to have ventured into unchartered terretory.
I did the following. 1. Created a file in /test/my_source, in it I had deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ testing main non-free contrib The actual URI is immaterial - you can replace 'ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat' with say 'archive.progeny.com/debian' or whatever (same problem). 2. I then try to do a search on this new source list file via (as both normal user and 'root'), apt-cache -o=Dir::Etc::SourceList=/test/my_source -p /tmp/my_db search moo and I get some odd errors about, W: Couldn't stat source package list ftp://ftp.nerim.net testing/main Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.nerim.net_debian-marillat_dists_testing_main_binary-i386_Packages) - stat (2 No such file or directory) which leads me to question why is it going to /var/lib/apt/lists (I did use the -p option which ought to be have it be reside somewhere else, no?). If I use something that is listed in /var/lib/apt/lists/, I get the following error if I run as non-root, E: Could not open file /var/cache/apt/srcpkgcache.bin - open (13 Permission denied) The fundemental problem I have with all of this, is that one is unable to query outside what is listed in /etc/apt/sources.list and it seems to me some of the hooks are there to get that done (or maybe I'm misunderstanding things). It seems that in order to do a search a cache file must be generted and to generate a cache file one has to do a 'apt-get update' and with the above I would screw my system over, so isn't there a way to search a different source list without completely changing my system. If not, why are all those options availble on the command-line on 'apt-cache' and 'apt-get' (namely "pkg-cache", "Dir::Etc::SourceList", etc) ? In passing, apt-cache's (and apt-get's) manpages about the '-o' syntax option is VERY confusing. I believe it needs to be '-o=CONF_VAR=value' and not '-o CONF_VAR=value' or '-o=CONF value' as is noted in the man page (it would be best if '-o CONF=value' was made to work). In the manpages there is also no mention of using multiple '-o' options. So is '-o=CONF_VAR1=value1 -o=CONF_VAR2=value2' (ie. two -o on the same command-line) legal ? It would be nice if the manpage noted something with this regard. Regards. -- System Information: Debian Release: testing/unstable Architecture: i386 Kernel: Linux sina 2.4.22 #2 Thu Sep 18 20:47:45 PDT 2003 i686 Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C Versions of packages apt depends on: ii libc6 2.3.2.ds1-10 GNU C Library: Shared libraries an ii libgcc1 1:3.3.2-4 GCC support library ii libstdc++5 1:3.3.2-4 The GNU Standard C++ Library v3 -- no debconf information
