apport doesn't list python3-launchpadlib in the package dependency list

[John George]

apport should include a dependency to install python3-launchpadlib
With 18.04 apport-collect errors with:
    ERROR: The python3-launchpadlib package is not installed. This functionality is not available.

$ apt-cache policy apport
apport:
  Installed: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7
  Candidate: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7
  Version table:
 *** 2.20.9-0ubuntu7 500
        500 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ apt-cache depends apport
apport
  Depends: python3
  Depends: python3-apport
  Depends: lsb-base
  Depends: python3-gi
  Depends: gir1.2-glib-2.0
  Conflicts: <core-dump-handler>
    corekeeper
    minicoredumper
    systemd-coredump
  Breaks: python-apport
  Recommends: apport-symptoms
  Recommends: policykit-1
  Recommends: python3-systemd
 |Suggests: apport-gtk
  Suggests: apport-kde
  Replaces: <core-dump-handler>
    corekeeper
    apport
    minicoredumper
    systemd-coredump
  Replaces: python-apport

ubuntu@s5lp1-gen03:~$ sudo apt install apport
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  apport-symptoms libpolkit-agent-1-0 libpolkit-backend-1-0 policykit-1
  python3-apport python3-certifi python3-chardet python3-httplib2 python3-idna
  python3-pkg-resources python3-problem-report python3-requests
  python3-requests-unixsocket python3-six python3-systemd python3-urllib3
Suggested packages:
  apport-gtk | apport-kde python3-launchpadlib python3-setuptools
  python3-cryptography python3-openssl python3-socks
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  apport apport-symptoms libpolkit-agent-1-0 libpolkit-backend-1-0 policykit-1
  python3-apport python3-certifi python3-chardet python3-httplib2 python3-idna
  python3-pkg-resources python3-problem-report python3-requests
  python3-requests-unixsocket python3-six python3-systemd python3-urllib3
0 upgraded, 17 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 908 kB of archives.
After this operation, 4881 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
Get:1 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-httplib2 all 0.9.2+dfsg-1 [28.5 kB]
Get:2 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-problem-report all 2.20.9-0ubuntu7 [9364 B]
Get:3 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-certifi all 2018.1.18-2 [144 kB]
Get:4 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-pkg-resources all 39.0.1-2 [98.8 kB]
Get:5 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-chardet all 3.0.4-1 [80.3 kB]
Get:6 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-idna all 2.6-1 [32.5 kB]
Get:7 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-six all 1.11.0-2 [11.4 kB]
Get:8 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-urllib3 all 1.22-1 [85.2 kB]
Get:9 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-requests all 2.18.4-2 [58.0 kB]
Get:10 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-requests-unixsocket all 0.1.5-3 [6286 B]
Get:11 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-apport all 2.20.9-0ubuntu7 [81.3 kB]
Get:12 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x apport all 2.20.9-0ubuntu7 [124 kB]
Get:13 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x apport-symptoms all 0.20 [14.2 kB]
Get:14 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x libpolkit-agent-1-0 s390x 0.105-20 [14.0 kB]
Get:15 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x libpolkit-backend-1-0 s390x 0.105-20 [33.6 kB]
Get:16 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x policykit-1 s390x 0.105-20 [52.0 kB]
Get:17 http://us.ports.ubuntu.com bionic/main s390x python3-systemd s390x 234-1build1 [35.1 kB]
Fetched 908 kB in 0s (4493 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package python3-httplib2.
(Reading database ... 46690 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../00-python3-httplib2_0.9.2+dfsg-1_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-httplib2 (0.9.2+dfsg-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python3-problem-report.
Preparing to unpack .../01-python3-problem-report_2.20.9-0ubuntu7_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-problem-report (2.20.9-0ubuntu7) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python3-certifi.
Preparing to unpack .../02-python3-certifi_2018.1.18-2_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-certifi (2018.1.18-2) ...
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Preparing to unpack .../03-python3-pkg-resources_39.0.1-2_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-pkg-resources (39.0.1-2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python3-chardet.
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Unpacking python3-chardet (3.0.4-1) ...
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Unpacking python3-idna (2.6-1) ...
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Unpacking python3-requests (2.18.4-2) ...
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Unpacking python3-requests-unixsocket (0.1.5-3) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python3-apport.
Preparing to unpack .../10-python3-apport_2.20.9-0ubuntu7_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-apport (2.20.9-0ubuntu7) ...
Selecting previously unselected package apport.
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Unpacking apport (2.20.9-0ubuntu7) ...
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Unpacking apport-symptoms (0.20) ...
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Unpacking libpolkit-backend-1-0:s390x (0.105-20) ...
Selecting previously unselected package policykit-1.
Preparing to unpack .../15-policykit-1_0.105-20_s390x.deb ...
Unit polkit.service does not exist, proceeding anyway.
Created symlink /run/systemd/system/polkit.service -> /dev/null.
Unpacking policykit-1 (0.105-20) ...
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Setting up python3-certifi (2018.1.18-2) ...
Setting up python3-pkg-resources (39.0.1-2) ...
Setting up python3-problem-report (2.20.9-0ubuntu7) ...
Setting up libpolkit-backend-1-0:s390x (0.105-20) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.27-3ubuntu1) ...
Setting up python3-chardet (3.0.4-1) ...
Setting up python3-systemd (234-1build1) ...
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Setting up python3-httplib2 (0.9.2+dfsg-1) ...
Setting up apport-symptoms (0.20) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.8.3-2) ...
Setting up python3-urllib3 (1.22-1) ...
Processing triggers for dbus (1.12.2-1ubuntu1) ...
Setting up policykit-1 (0.105-20) ...
Removed /run/systemd/system/polkit.service.
polkit.service is a disabled or a static unit not running, not starting it.
polkit.service is a disabled or a static unit, not starting it.
Setting up python3-requests (2.18.4-2) ...
Setting up python3-requests-unixsocket (0.1.5-3) ...
Setting up python3-apport (2.20.9-0ubuntu7) ...
Setting up apport (2.20.9-0ubuntu7) ...
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/sockets.target.wants/apport-forward.socket -> /lib/systemd/system/apport-forward.socket.
Processing triggers for dbus (1.12.2-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-20) ...
Processing triggers for systemd (237-3ubuntu10) ...
ubuntu@s5lp1-gen03:~$ sudo apport-collect BUGID
ERROR: The python3-launchpadlib package is not installed. This functionality is not available.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

For some reason Martin made a conscious decision to not include python3-launchpadlib as a dependency of apport. I believe this is in part because apport is installed on all systems yet not many of them will end up using apport-collect or apport-retrace (the two commands which need python3-launchpadlib).

I guess we could revisit his decision and see if it still makes sense today.