[Bug 2107747] [NEW] Support commands and app names as package identifiers

[Isaac King]

Public bug reported:

It can be frustrating for a non-technical user to report a bug when the
way they interact with the package is identified in some way other than
the package name.

For example, I'm told that to report a bug I should use the "ubuntu-bug"
command, but if I want to report a bug with the command itself, it
doesn't work to type "ubuntu-bug ubuntu-bug". I have to figure out that
the package name is actually "apport". This is certainly not that hard
(e.g. you can run "dpkg -S $(which ubuntu-bug)"), but it's an additional
step that adds friction.

Similarly, if I wanted to report a bug in the app that is titled
"Settings" on the default Ubuntu dock, I have to go digging to figure
out that the package name is "gnome control center". I'm not aware of an
easy way to do this that will work for every app.

For bug-reporting to be easier on the user, I would suggest accepting
not just the package name, but also any command that the package exposes
by default, and any name that it gives itself in the GUI.

(There could of course be collisions between e.g. multiple packages that
display a name of "settings", but this is easily handled by giving the
user a list of all packages they could be talking about and asking them
to pick one.)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: apport 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.11.0-21.21~24.04.1-generic 6.11.11
Uname: Linux 6.11.0-21-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportLog:
 
ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.5
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sun Apr 20 20:28:00 2025
InstallationDate: Installed on 2025-04-16 (4 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Release amd64 (20250215)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
SourcePackage: apport
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug noble

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2107747

Title:
  Support commands and app names as package identifiers

Status in apport package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  It can be frustrating for a non-technical user to report a bug when
  the way they interact with the package is identified in some way other
  than the package name.

  For example, I'm told that to report a bug I should use the "ubuntu-
  bug" command, but if I want to report a bug with the command itself,
  it doesn't work to type "ubuntu-bug ubuntu-bug". I have to figure out
  that the package name is actually "apport". This is certainly not that
  hard (e.g. you can run "dpkg -S $(which ubuntu-bug)"), but it's an
  additional step that adds friction.

  Similarly, if I wanted to report a bug in the app that is titled
  "Settings" on the default Ubuntu dock, I have to go digging to figure
  out that the package name is "gnome control center". I'm not aware of
  an easy way to do this that will work for every app.

  For bug-reporting to be easier on the user, I would suggest accepting
  not just the package name, but also any command that the package
  exposes by default, and any name that it gives itself in the GUI.

  (There could of course be collisions between e.g. multiple packages
  that display a name of "settings", but this is easily handled by
  giving the user a list of all packages they could be talking about and
  asking them to pick one.)

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
  Package: apport 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.5
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.11.0-21.21~24.04.1-generic 6.11.11
  Uname: Linux 6.11.0-21-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
  ApportLog:
   
  ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.5
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Sun Apr 20 20:28:00 2025
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2025-04-16 (4 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Release amd64 (20250215)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  ProcEnviron:
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   SHELL=/bin/bash
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
  SourcePackage: apport
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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