[Bug 2148195] [NEW] "apt-get install pkg/target-release" may upgrade regardless of APT preferences

[Jarno Suni]

Public bug reported:

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID:	Ubuntu
Description:	Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS
Release:	24.04
Codename:	noble

Say you have a package p that has a newer version in noble-proposed
suite than what is already installed. Then

sudo apt-get install p/noble
or 
sudo apt-get install p/24.04

may upgrade p even if "apt policy" tells noble-proposed had lower
priority than say noble or noble-updates. On the other hand, if the
version from noble-proposed was installed, the command above will not
downgrade to a version that would be correct according to priority
settings in APT preferences.

I expect APT preferences to be taken into account unless the suite is given explicitly like e.g.
sudo apt-get install p/noble-proposed

Even better, I want to have an easy way to synchronize the versions of
packages to the versions matching current repository specifications and
APT priorities i.e. to versions that would be freshly installed by apt
install, i.e. apt install p, for package p, if p was not installed
beforehand.

Note that noble is ambiguous in the syntax as it may mean the target
release 24.04 or the release suite of  release 24.04.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: apt 2.8.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.17.0-20.20~24.04.1-generic 6.17.13
Uname: Linux 6.17.0-20-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.8
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Mon Apr 13 14:49:04 2026
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-12-05 (2321 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 19.10 "Eoan Ermine" - Release amd64 (20191017)
SourcePackage: apt
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug noble

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2148195

Title:
  "apt-get install pkg/target-release" may upgrade regardless of APT
  preferences

Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  $ lsb_release -a
  No LSB modules are available.
  Distributor ID:	Ubuntu
  Description:	Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS
  Release:	24.04
  Codename:	noble

  Say you have a package p that has a newer version in noble-proposed
  suite than what is already installed. Then

  sudo apt-get install p/noble
  or 
  sudo apt-get install p/24.04

  may upgrade p even if "apt policy" tells noble-proposed had lower
  priority than say noble or noble-updates. On the other hand, if the
  version from noble-proposed was installed, the command above will not
  downgrade to a version that would be correct according to priority
  settings in APT preferences.

  I expect APT preferences to be taken into account unless the suite is given explicitly like e.g.
  sudo apt-get install p/noble-proposed

  Even better, I want to have an easy way to synchronize the versions of
  packages to the versions matching current repository specifications
  and APT priorities i.e. to versions that would be freshly installed by
  apt install, i.e. apt install p, for package p, if p was not installed
  beforehand.

  Note that noble is ambiguous in the syntax as it may mean the target
  release 24.04 or the release suite of  release 24.04.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
  Package: apt 2.8.3
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.17.0-20.20~24.04.1-generic 6.17.13
  Uname: Linux 6.17.0-20-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.8
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
  CurrentDesktop: XFCE
  Date: Mon Apr 13 14:49:04 2026
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-12-05 (2321 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 19.10 "Eoan Ermine" - Release amd64 (20191017)
  SourcePackage: apt
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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