Bug#954228: apt should be able to install packages from files on disk

[John Scott]

>   dima@fatty:~$ sudo apt install /tmp/gnuplot-data_5.2.8+dfsg1-2dima1_all.deb
>   ...
>   Note, selecting 'gnuplot-data' instead of 
> '/tmp/gnuplot-data_5.2.8+dfsg1-2dima1_all.deb'
> 
> So apt recognized that I asked it to install a file on disk, but
> instead of using that file, it decided to install the same package
> from the repo.

I think the message is quite misleading. Despite what the note says, using
apt install ./*.deb to install packages has worked for me for a while,
including recently. Perhaps you should check again?


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Bug#954228: apt should be able to install packages from files on disk

[Dima Kogan]

Package: apt
Version: 2.0.0
Severity: normal

Hi. I often build packages locally. Then I'd like to install them
(like dpkg -i) while installing dependencies also. I want to say the
"apt" tool was able to do this previously, but it doesn't any longer. This just 
happened:

  dima@fatty:~$ sudo apt install /tmp/gnuplot-data_5.2.8+dfsg1-2dima1_all.deb
  ...
  Note, selecting 'gnuplot-data' instead of 
'/tmp/gnuplot-data_5.2.8+dfsg1-2dima1_all.deb'

So apt recognized that I asked it to install a file on disk, but
instead of using that file, it decided to install the same package
from the repo. This is wrong 100% of the time, because it is very
explicitly not what the user asked for. Ideally it should install the
given file and its dependencies. If that's impossible for whatever
reason, it should tell me that it can't do it, and why.

Thanks for the tool