[Bug 1815494] [NEW] May remove autoremovable non-kernel packages matching pattern from APT::VersionedKernelPackages

[Balint Reczey]

Public bug reported:

Unattended-upgrades and Update Manager use the patterns from the
APT::VersionedKernelPackages list directly for finding kernel packages
to remove while APT uses patterns by attaching version and flavor to
them.

As a result in APT's script ".*-modules" becomes
"^.*-modules-4\.15\.0-45-generic$":

...
        for package in $(apt-config dump --no-empty --format '%v%n' 'APT::VersionedKernelPackages'); do
                for kernel in $kernels; do
                        echo "   \"^${package}-${kernel}$\";"
		done
...

In unattended-upgrades and update-manager ".*-modules" is used directly
for matching and may false  identify autoremovable packages as kernel-
related ones and remove them (of just offer the removal in case of
update-manager):

...
Removing unused kernel packages: extra-cmake-modules
marking extra-cmake-modules for removal
(Reading database ... 31149 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing extra-cmake-modules (5.44.0-0ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.8.3-2ubuntu0.1) ...
Packages that were successfully auto-removed: extra-cmake-modules
...

** Affects: unattended-upgrades (Ubuntu)
     Importance: High
         Status: New

** Affects: update-manager (Ubuntu)
     Importance: High
         Status: New

** Changed in: unattended-upgrades (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided => High

** Summary changed:

- May remove non-kernel packages matching patttern from APT::VersionedKernelPackages
+ May remove autoremovable non-kernel packages matching pattern from APT::VersionedKernelPackages

** Also affects: update-manager (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided => High

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1815494

Title:
  May remove autoremovable non-kernel packages matching pattern from
  APT::VersionedKernelPackages

Status in unattended-upgrades package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in update-manager package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Unattended-upgrades and Update Manager use the patterns from the
  APT::VersionedKernelPackages list directly for finding kernel packages
  to remove while APT uses patterns by attaching version and flavor to
  them.

  As a result in APT's script ".*-modules" becomes
  "^.*-modules-4\.15\.0-45-generic$":

  ...
          for package in $(apt-config dump --no-empty --format '%v%n' 'APT::VersionedKernelPackages'); do
                  for kernel in $kernels; do
                          echo "   \"^${package}-${kernel}$\";"
  		done
  ...

  In unattended-upgrades and update-manager ".*-modules" is used
  directly for matching and may false  identify autoremovable packages
  as kernel-related ones and remove them (of just offer the removal in
  case of update-manager):

  ...
  Removing unused kernel packages: extra-cmake-modules
  marking extra-cmake-modules for removal
  (Reading database ... 31149 files and directories currently installed.)
  Removing extra-cmake-modules (5.44.0-0ubuntu1) ...
  Processing triggers for man-db (2.8.3-2ubuntu0.1) ...
  Packages that were successfully auto-removed: extra-cmake-modules
  ...

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