[Bug 1094386] [NEW] Redirecting to /dev/null doesn't show configuration dialogs

[Daniel Hartwig]

On 29 December 2012 08:11, Sworddragon <1094386 at bugs.launchpad.net> wrote:
> Public bug reported:
>
> I'm using Ubuntu 13.04 dev with apt 0.9.7.6ubuntu6 and whiptail
> 0.52.14-11ubuntu4.

Since you mention whiptail I presume that you have debconf configured
to use the default frontend, dialog.

> If I'm installing a package and redirecting stdout to
> /dev/null the configuration dialogs doesn't show up.

Yes, this is expected.  The dialog (whiptail) frontend uses stdout to
display the dialogs, like most other terminal programs.  If stdout is
redirected to /dev/null, that interferes with the operation of the
dialog frontend. It is your responsibility to configure a different
frontend if you insist on redirecting stdout.

 status invalid

The rest of this response is informative.  Please do not respond
further to this bug report unless there is a genuine fault.

The debconf(7) man page lists a couple of environment variables that
temporarily change the frontend in use.  DEBIAN_FRONTEND and
DEBCONF_FORCE_XDIALOG would be useful if you are running under X11
session.

$ DEBIAN_FRONTEND=gnome sudo apt-get install …

If you redirect stdout to /dev/null so that you can background
apt-get, I suggest instead to use a program such as “screen” to run
the apt-get session and to not redirect stdout.  With screen you can
run multiple shells and switch between them.  This way you will get to
see and respond to the configuration dialogs.

Otherwise, you only other option is to use the noninteractive
frontend, which will respond to configuration dialogs on your behalf:

$ DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive sudo apt-get install …

> An example package
> is phpmyadmin: "sudo apt-get install --force-yes -y phpmyadmin >
> /dev/null". This will prevent the package to be successfully configured.

Note that --force-yes and -y and apt options only.  They do have no
effect on questions that dpkg or debconf may have; yes/no does not
make sense for most of those anyway.  There are ways to configure dpkg
and debconf to assume particular answers, such as
-oDPkg::options="--force-confdef" and using the noninteractive debconf
frontend.  See the man pages for dpkg and debconf for details.


** Changed in: apt (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Invalid

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1094386

Title:
  Redirecting to /dev/null doesn't show configuration dialogs

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  I'm using Ubuntu 13.04 dev with apt 0.9.7.6ubuntu6 and whiptail
  0.52.14-11ubuntu4. If I'm installing a package and redirecting stdout
  to /dev/null the configuration dialogs doesn't show up. An example
  package is phpmyadmin: "sudo apt-get install --force-yes -y phpmyadmin
  > /dev/null". This will prevent the package to be successfully
  configured.

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