[Bug 1945794] [NEW] ttf-mscorefonts-installer should not depend on ubuntu-advantage-tools

[Max]

Public bug reported:

During latest update of Ubuntu-20.04 focal the following conflict
appeared: either ubuntu-advantage-tools must be installed or ttf-
mscorefonts-installer must be removed. Such dependence should not be
hard, I do not mind (indirect) "recommends" relation.

Since I have no intention to subscribe to ESM or to kernel live patch
(sorry, I am not a source of profit for Canonical, at least direct one),
I removed ubuntu-advantage-tools and it was working smoothly till the
last update.

    apt upgrade

attempted to install new package ubuntu-advantage-tools. I tried to set
`Pin-Priority: -1` to this package (I do not recommend such recipe, so
no config snippet here). The result is:

    The following packages have been kept back:
      python3-update-manager

I do not expect upgrade till next year, so I tried to remove packages
necessary for dist-upgrade

    apt purge update-manager-core
    The following packages will be REMOVED:
      ttf-mscorefonts-installer* update-manager-core* update-notifier-common*

Removing of ttf-mscorefonts-installer is against my goal. I would prefer
to keep the fonts.

1. ttf-mscorefonts-installer should not depend on update-notifier-
common. I noticed /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/
directory in /var/lib/dpkg/info/ttf-mscorefonts-installer.postinst If it
is the only reason of dependency, the package may create the directory
itself.

2. I hope, there is a way to avoid stale ubutu-advantage-tools without
hard dependency in update-manager-core (e.g. "recommends" and some
conflicts to earlier versions).

I do not know the full story, I found lp:1926361, but fixes released
several months ago. I have no idea why the problem appeared on my
machine this week.

It seems, there 2 independent issues that are quite harmless while
isolated but their combination causes a problem. Please, disentangle
ttf-mscorefonts-installer and ubuntu-advantage-tools.

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

** Affects: ubuntu-advantage-tools (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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


** Tags: focal

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

** Also affects: ubuntu-advantage-tools (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1945794

Title:
  ttf-mscorefonts-installer should not depend on ubuntu-advantage-tools

Status in msttcorefonts package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in ubuntu-advantage-tools package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in update-manager package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  During latest update of Ubuntu-20.04 focal the following conflict
  appeared: either ubuntu-advantage-tools must be installed or ttf-
  mscorefonts-installer must be removed. Such dependence should not be
  hard, I do not mind (indirect) "recommends" relation.

  Since I have no intention to subscribe to ESM or to kernel live patch
  (sorry, I am not a source of profit for Canonical, at least direct
  one), I removed ubuntu-advantage-tools and it was working smoothly
  till the last update.

      apt upgrade

  attempted to install new package ubuntu-advantage-tools. I tried to
  set `Pin-Priority: -1` to this package (I do not recommend such
  recipe, so no config snippet here). The result is:

      The following packages have been kept back:
        python3-update-manager

  I do not expect upgrade till next year, so I tried to remove packages
  necessary for dist-upgrade

      apt purge update-manager-core
      The following packages will be REMOVED:
        ttf-mscorefonts-installer* update-manager-core* update-notifier-common*

  Removing of ttf-mscorefonts-installer is against my goal. I would
  prefer to keep the fonts.

  1. ttf-mscorefonts-installer should not depend on update-notifier-
  common. I noticed /var/lib/update-notifier/package-data-downloads/
  directory in /var/lib/dpkg/info/ttf-mscorefonts-installer.postinst If
  it is the only reason of dependency, the package may create the
  directory itself.

  2. I hope, there is a way to avoid stale ubutu-advantage-tools without
  hard dependency in update-manager-core (e.g. "recommends" and some
  conflicts to earlier versions).

  I do not know the full story, I found lp:1926361, but fixes released
  several months ago. I have no idea why the problem appeared on my
  machine this week.

  It seems, there 2 independent issues that are quite harmless while
  isolated but their combination causes a problem. Please, disentangle
  ttf-mscorefonts-installer and ubuntu-advantage-tools.

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