[Bug 874409] [NEW] apt-get -q flag fails to squelch status -qq hides everything

[AaronSherman]

Public bug reported:

According to the docs, apt-get install -q foo should install the package
foo, while suppressing progress messages. It does not. Quiet level 2
(-qq or -q=2) will suppress those messages, but also suppresses
errors/summary. There is no middle ground.

Example:

$ sudo apt-get install -q=1 mysql-server
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
mysql-server is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
$ sudo apt-get install -q=2 mysql-server
$

The second example is probably correct output, but the first should
suppress "Reading package lists..." type output as they are, as defined
in the man page, "progress indicators". Certainly -q should output
"mysql-server is already the newest version" which amounts to an error
message. It's arguable if the summary "0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0
to remove and 0 not upgraded" should be included or not. Either way, the
docs are pretty clear that the progress messages don't belong there at
all.

Another approach would be to add a -q=3 which does what -q=2 does now,
and make -q=2 suppress the progress indicators, but then what exactly is
-q=1 doing? There must be some output that it does suppress, but I'm not
able to tell what it is.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: apt 0.8.13.2ubuntu4.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-11.50-generic 2.6.38.8
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-11-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Oct 14 12:13:20 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: apt
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: apt (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug natty

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/874409

Title:
  apt-get -q flag fails to squelch status -qq hides everything

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  According to the docs, apt-get install -q foo should install the
  package foo, while suppressing progress messages. It does not. Quiet
  level 2 (-qq or -q=2) will suppress those messages, but also
  suppresses errors/summary. There is no middle ground.

  Example:

  $ sudo apt-get install -q=1 mysql-server
  Reading package lists...
  Building dependency tree...
  Reading state information...
  mysql-server is already the newest version.
  0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
  $ sudo apt-get install -q=2 mysql-server
  $

  The second example is probably correct output, but the first should
  suppress "Reading package lists..." type output as they are, as
  defined in the man page, "progress indicators". Certainly -q should
  output "mysql-server is already the newest version" which amounts to
  an error message. It's arguable if the summary "0 upgraded, 0 newly
  installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded" should be included or not.
  Either way, the docs are pretty clear that the progress messages don't
  belong there at all.

  Another approach would be to add a -q=3 which does what -q=2 does now,
  and make -q=2 suppress the progress indicators, but then what exactly
  is -q=1 doing? There must be some output that it does suppress, but
  I'm not able to tell what it is.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
  Package: apt 0.8.13.2ubuntu4.2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-11.50-generic 2.6.38.8
  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-11-generic x86_64
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Fri Oct 14 12:13:20 2011
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANGUAGE=en_US:en
   PATH=(custom, user)
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: apt
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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