[Bug 1793903] [NEW] aptitude build-dep fails on virtual packages

[Nate Eldredge]

Public bug reported:

`aptitude build-dep' fails on some packages, apparently when one of the
build dependencies is a virtual package.

For instance, `aptitude build-dep timidity' fails with the error
message:

Unable to satisfy the build-depends: Build-Depends: libncurses-dev
Unable to apply some actions, aborting

Now timidity does have libncurses-dev as a build dependency, but it's a
virtual package, which on my system is provided by libncurses5-dev.  As
it happens this is already installed (version 6.1-1ubuntu1.18.04) but
aptitude doesn't see to recognize that.

`apt-get build-dep timidity' works correctly, but it would be nice to be
able to use aptitude instead.  For instance, I'd like to be able to
--add-user-tag when doing build-dep, so that I can easily remove all
those packages later.

Another example is `aptitude build-dep gnuplot' which fails on the
build-depends liblua5.1-dev (provided by liblua5.1-0-dev).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: aptitude 0.8.10-6ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-33.36-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-33-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sat Sep 22 11:21:32 2018
SourcePackage: aptitude
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-05-23 (122 days ago)

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


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug bionic

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1793903

Title:
  aptitude build-dep fails on virtual packages

Status in aptitude package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  `aptitude build-dep' fails on some packages, apparently when one of
  the build dependencies is a virtual package.

  For instance, `aptitude build-dep timidity' fails with the error
  message:

  Unable to satisfy the build-depends: Build-Depends: libncurses-dev
  Unable to apply some actions, aborting

  Now timidity does have libncurses-dev as a build dependency, but it's
  a virtual package, which on my system is provided by libncurses5-dev.
  As it happens this is already installed (version 6.1-1ubuntu1.18.04)
  but aptitude doesn't see to recognize that.

  `apt-get build-dep timidity' works correctly, but it would be nice to
  be able to use aptitude instead.  For instance, I'd like to be able to
  --add-user-tag when doing build-dep, so that I can easily remove all
  those packages later.

  Another example is `aptitude build-dep gnuplot' which fails on the
  build-depends liblua5.1-dev (provided by liblua5.1-0-dev).

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
  Package: aptitude 0.8.10-6ubuntu1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-33.36-generic 4.15.18
  Uname: Linux 4.15.0-33-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
  ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.3
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Sat Sep 22 11:21:32 2018
  SourcePackage: aptitude
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-05-23 (122 days ago)

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