[Bug 1550789] [NEW] Apt supports only up to 40 GPG keys and provides unhelpful error messages when there are more than 40

[Tal Liron]

Public bug reported:

First of all, the 40 key limit is unrealistic for heavy Ubuntu users.
None of my 40+ keys is meaningless. I use many repositories, including
PPAs, for various reasons.

But, when you do hit the limit, you get very unhelpful error messages,
such as this:

W: GPG error: http://mirrors.gigenet.com trusty Release: The following
signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available:
NO_PUBKEY 40976EAF437D05B5 NO_PUBKEY 3B4FE6ACC0B21F32

Nowhere are you told that you have too many keys, and nowhere do you get
a suggestion no how to solve this error.

See, for example, this bug for the confusion that this causes:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1263540

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

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1550789

Title:
  Apt supports only up to 40 GPG keys and provides unhelpful error
  messages when there are more than 40

Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  First of all, the 40 key limit is unrealistic for heavy Ubuntu users.
  None of my 40+ keys is meaningless. I use many repositories, including
  PPAs, for various reasons.

  But, when you do hit the limit, you get very unhelpful error messages,
  such as this:

  W: GPG error: http://mirrors.gigenet.com trusty Release: The following
  signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not
  available: NO_PUBKEY 40976EAF437D05B5 NO_PUBKEY 3B4FE6ACC0B21F32

  Nowhere are you told that you have too many keys, and nowhere do you
  get a suggestion no how to solve this error.

  See, for example, this bug for the confusion that this causes:

  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1263540

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