[Bug 1752448] [NEW] error message for unmet dependencies is misleading

[Christophe Malek]

Public bug reported:

When trying to install some older packages on a machine with newer
packages I get the following message:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 libcupsimage2 : Depends: libcups2 (= 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.8) but 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.9 is to be installed
 libgfortran3 : Depends: gcc-4.8-base (= 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.3) but 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.4 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages. 

The way the message is worded makes it seem like I was trying to install
version 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.9 and 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.4 of the above
packages.

In reality, these were the versions of the packages that were already
installed on the machine.

This caused a fair bit of confusion when trying to debug the situation.

If you could please reword the error message to be correct. Perhaps
something along the lines of:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 libcupsimage2 : Depends: libcups2 (= 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.8) but 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.9 is already installed
 libgfortran3 : Depends: gcc-4.8-base (= 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.3) but 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.4 is already installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages. 

Thanks!

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: apt 1.2.25
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-36.40~16.04.1-generic 4.13.13
Uname: Linux 4.13.0-36-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Wed Feb 28 18:14:25 2018
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-11-03 (117 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20170801)
SourcePackage: apt
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug xenial

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1752448

Title:
  error message for unmet dependencies is misleading

Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  When trying to install some older packages on a machine with newer
  packages I get the following message:

  The following packages have unmet dependencies:
   libcupsimage2 : Depends: libcups2 (= 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.8) but 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.9 is to be installed
   libgfortran3 : Depends: gcc-4.8-base (= 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.3) but 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.4 is to be installed
  E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages. 

  The way the message is worded makes it seem like I was trying to
  install version 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.9 and 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.4 of the
  above packages.

  In reality, these were the versions of the packages that were already
  installed on the machine.

  This caused a fair bit of confusion when trying to debug the
  situation.

  If you could please reword the error message to be correct. Perhaps
  something along the lines of:

  The following packages have unmet dependencies:
   libcupsimage2 : Depends: libcups2 (= 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.8) but 1.7.2-0ubuntu1.9 is already installed
   libgfortran3 : Depends: gcc-4.8-base (= 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.3) but 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.4 is already installed
  E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages. 

  Thanks!

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
  Package: apt 1.2.25
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.13.0-36.40~16.04.1-generic 4.13.13
  Uname: Linux 4.13.0-36-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.15
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Wed Feb 28 18:14:25 2018
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-11-03 (117 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20170801)
  SourcePackage: apt
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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