[SOLVED] apt-file search not working

GNUser · 2017-03-16 16:09:01

I use apt-file to find which package contains a given file. This is extremely handy and sometimes is the only way I know to get such information.

While apt-file works flawlessly in Debian Jessie, in Devuan Jessie apt-file cannot find what it needs to build its cache:

bruno@devuan:~$ sudo apt-file update
Ignoring source without Contents File:
  http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged/dists/jessie/main/Contents-amd64.gz
Ignoring source without Contents File:
  http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged/dists/jessie-security/main/Contents-amd64.gz
Ignoring source without Contents File:
  http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged/dists/jessie-updates/main/Contents-amd64.gz

bruno@devuan:~$ apt-file search foo
E: The cache is empty. You need to run 'apt-file update' first.

Is this a problem on my end or is something missing from Devuan's repositories? It seems more likely to be the latter. If it's a repository problem as I suspect, does anyone know whether there are plans to add the missing "Contents Files" to Devuan's repositories? Thanks!

Last edited by GNUser (2017-03-25 11:23:12)

golinux · 2017-03-17 05:50:59

This is a known issue.

GNUser · 2017-03-17 14:12:25

Oops, my bad. Sorry for missing that.

golinux · 2017-03-17 23:32:35

No worries. Welcome to the forum btw!

GNUser · 2017-03-18 15:17:26

Thank you. I'm very happy to be part of this new community--it's truly an island of sanity. I have no interest in making my system orders of magnitude more complex so that I can (maybe) shave a few seconds off my boot time. When it comes to my OS, I'll take something I can more easily understand and control over something new and (supposedly) faster *anyday* Long live Devuan!

Last edited by GNUser (2017-03-18 15:18:07)

fsmithred · 2017-03-18 17:28:55

I was chrooting into an old wheezy installation to run apt-file until someone showed me these:

 To find what package a file comes from:
dpkg -S <file>

To find what files come with a package:
dpkg -L <package>

golinux · 2017-03-18 18:13:28

Could you possibly add that to your Package manager magic incantations? And while you're there would be nice to have code tags around the commands.

GNUser · 2017-03-18 20:22:37

Very nice, but has one drawback: "dpkg -S" can only search the contents of packages that are already installed on the system. If the purpose of the search is to determine which package to install, "dpkg -S" isn't going to help.

Last edited by GNUser (2017-03-21 18:32:02)

GNUser · 2017-03-22 14:30:54

Here's a robust workaround for the time being:

1. On a Debian Jessie system:

$ sudo apt-file update

2. Copy /var/cache/apt/apt-file directory from Debian to Devuan
3. Copy /etc/apt/sources.list from Debian to Devuan, renaming it /etc/apt/debian-sources.list in Devuan so it doesn't conflict with Devuan's "real" sources.list
4. Put this in your ~/.bashrc:

alias apt-file='apt-file --sources-list /etc/apt/debian-sources.list'

Now apt-file searches work as expected, regardless of whether the package containing the file is already installed on your system or not. We're obviously searching through Debian's packages, but 99% of the time it'll be close enough. Just make sure to run apt-file as regular user, since regular user is the one who has the alias:

$ apt-file search foo

fsmithred · 2017-03-23 12:36:36

Thank you for that gem! I've been missing apt-file for a long time.

Slight modification: I didn't copy the cache file. I copied the debian sources.list to my user's home and ran 'apt-file -s sources.list update' and it put an apt-file directory in ~/.cache.

GNUser · 2017-03-23 13:23:06

Hats off, fsmithred. Your modification is much more elegant. Very nice.

Count_Cucaracha · 2017-07-26 05:04:27

GNUser wrote:

Here's a robust workaround for the time being

Its robustness was short-lived as that option to apt-file no longer exists.

golinux · 2017-07-27 00:51:44

Count_Cucaracha wrote:

GNUser wrote:
Here's a robust workaround for the time being
Its robustness was short-lived as that option to apt-file no longer exists.

More information as to why not would be helpful. Perhaps it was PEBKAC . . .

paulwratt · 2018-08-18 06:07:18

golinux wrote:

Count_Cucaracha wrote:
GNUser wrote:
Here's a robust workaround for the time being
Its robustness was short-lived as that option to apt-file no longer exists.
More information as to why not would be helpful. Perhaps it was PEBKAC . . .

that "workaround" wont help, because it searches the contents of the copied apt-file caches and uses the Debian repos, NOT the Devuan repos and caches created from them.

https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=2291

looks for "dir/Content-_arch_.gz" instead of "dir/binary-_arch_/Packages.gz"

Cheers

Paul

paulwratt · 2018-08-18 19:04:09

there is now a 100% solution, no patch needed the Devuan Jessie repos

EDIT: in fact after a quick check it turns out @golinux is right, there is no issue with the original script IF your repo points to deb.devuan.org:
https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?pid=11397#p11397

Last edited by paulwratt (2018-08-19 13:47:04)

golinux · 2018-08-18 20:00:21

If there is not already a bug report please submit one at bugs.devuan.org

paulwratt · 2018-08-19 13:48:20

golinux wrote:

If there is not already a bug report please submit one at bugs.devuan.org

I edited the other thread and the above post to reflect the situation.

The officially official Devuan Forum!

#1 2017-03-16 16:09:01

[SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#2 2017-03-17 05:50:59

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#3 2017-03-17 14:12:25

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#4 2017-03-17 23:32:35

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#5 2017-03-18 15:17:26

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#6 2017-03-18 17:28:55

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#7 2017-03-18 18:13:28

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#8 2017-03-18 20:22:37

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#9 2017-03-22 14:30:54

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#10 2017-03-23 12:36:36

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#11 2017-03-23 13:23:06

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#12 2017-07-26 05:04:27

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#13 2017-07-27 00:51:44

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#14 2018-08-18 06:07:18

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#15 2018-08-18 19:04:09

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#16 2018-08-18 20:00:21

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

#17 2018-08-19 13:48:20

Re: [SOLVED] apt-file search not working

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