recommends packages in universe in preference to packages in main

[Colin Watson]

Binary package hint: command-not-found

From a local IRC channel:

<fivemack> I ran 'g++', which said 'you should install pentium-builder'; apt-get install pentium-builder has left me with what looks like a cross-build environment, where /usr/bin/g++ links to builder-c++ which is a script which calls g++-real which doesn't exist.

This is obviously a bug; it should have recommended g++ in preference, since g++ is in main while pentium-builder is in universe.

Furthermore, I would argue that if a command is available in multiple packages then it should tell you this, rather than arbitrarily selecting one.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

(The reporter is running Feisty.)

[Zygmunt Krynicki (zyga)]

This is a known issue due to the complexity of correctly detecting alternatives. A manual work-around as in gcc can be applied as a temporary workaround. A full and correct handling of alternatives is very difficult and I'm open to suggestions.

[Matthias Klose (doko)]

IMO this has nothing to do with alternatives; /usr/bin/g++ is part of the g++ package, it's not handled by alternatives. why not look first for packages just in main, then for packages in other sources?

[Zygmunt Krynicki (zyga)]

This is caused by dangling symlinks (it's a feature of the data extractor)

In one package:
/usr/bin/g++ -> /usr/bin/g++-4.1

In other package:
/usr/bin/g++-4.1

Currently the data extractor is dropping cross-package symlinks.

[Zygmunt Krynicki (zyga)]

Fixed in trunk, should be part of feisty in a few days

[Zygmunt Krynicki (zyga)]

Moved from ubuntu where the bug has been filed.

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

The data is updated and the new package is uploaded now. Awaiting approval from the release-manager.