[Bug 355941] [NEW] different package tools show different results

[james]

Public bug reported:

Ubuntu 8.10, dpkg-1.14.20ubuntu6.2, dlocate-0.96.1,
synaptic-0.62.1ubuntu10 - maybe others:

The package database - databases? - tools? - give inconsistant - and so
misleading - results.  Do a package search with synaptic, then with
dpkg, then with dlocate, and get three different answers.  AAAAHHHRRG!
You cannot be certain what packages may or may not exist or which
packages may or may not be installed on the machine.

So, for instance, yesterday, I get

 $ dlocate -l gcj-4.3
 ...
 pn  gcj-4.3-base                <none>                      (no description available)

and

$ dpkg -l gcj-4.3-base
...
ii  gcj-4.3-base                4.3.2-1ubuntu2              The GNU Compiler Collection (gcj base package)

Running "update-dlocatedb" makes no difference - same result.  But
today, for both, I get the same

 ii  gcj-4.3-base                4.3.2-1ubuntu2              The GNU
Compiler Collection (gcj base package)

Not very useful...

Another example:
Searching for any package with "xf86vidmode", I get nothing from any of these tools.  But then, Google shows me "http://packages.ubuntu.com/intrepid/x11proto-xf86vidmode-dev", and "aptitude install x11proto-xf86vidmode-dev" has no trouble installing the package.  So now,

 dpkg -l 'x11proto-xf86vidmode-dev'
 ...
 ii  x11proto-xf86vidmode-dev    2.2.2-5ubuntu1              X11 Video Mode extension wire protocol

but again, "dlocate -l 'x11proto-xf86vidmode-dev'" shows nothing -
completely blank.  Synaptic, though, shows the package installed now.

Is there something that I do not understand, about how these tools are
"suppose" to work?  dlocate uses egrep, but that doesn't explain how it
fails to see some packages - or does it?

Also, I would think dpkg should see the same package set as
"http://packages.ubuntu.com".  Is there some single "most-official" or
"definitive" reference for ubuntu packages?  Are dpkg and dlocate
suppose to be working off the same dataset?

dlocate seems to have its own /var/lib/dlocate/dlocatedb
auto-apt seems to keep its own /var/cache/auto-apt/pkgcontents.bin and /var/cache/auto-apt/pkgfiles.bin
dpkg has its /var/lib/dpkg/info/

I'm gussing that there is some redundency there, and the possibility of
inconsistancy.  Mostly, though, I'd like to know what is the "proper"
and "best" way to search for installed and uninstalled packages,
especially when searching for obscure development packages.

Of course, it would be nice to see a dpkg-consistant response from
dlocate.  That would seem to be a dlocate bug.

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

-- 
different package tools show different results
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/355941
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