tasksel --task-packages <task> not working

[bugproxy]

Kernel:
Linux lnx 4.4.0-36-generic #55-Ubuntu SMP Thu Aug 11 18:05:09 UTC 2016 s390x s390x s390x GNU/Linux

Description/Reproduction:
the command "tasksel --task-packages <task>" is not working

root@lnx:/etc/apt# tasksel --task-packages server
server^

The command does not hang. It is the output.
The 16.04.01 is the first release for s390x. There was no release before.

tasksel --list-task works fine

I can also invoke ncurses menu with tasksel.

Attached you can find the sosreport.

I expect to see (ppc Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS):

root@srv01:~# tasksel --task-packages server
libnl-3-200
libgpm2
software-properties-common
at
python3-newt
python-configobj
libreadline5
python3-problem-report
python3-apport
python-pkg-resources
python-serial
python2.7
libsigsegv2
libpython2.7-minimal
acpid
python-apt
byobu
patch
apport-symptoms
vim-runtime
wireless-tools
python3-software-properties
xz-utils
libcurl3
libgc1c2
libpython2.7
python-pam
libpcsclite1
gawk
w3m
python
policykit-1
libpython2.7-stdlib
python2.7-minimal
vim
...

and I can see only:

root@lnxut01:~# tasksel --task-packages server
server^

[bugproxy (bugproxy)]

Default Comment by Bridge

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

Note that tasksel in xenial is significantly newer than the one in trusty.

The output generated by taksel, is something that apt understands e.g.:

$ tasksel --list-packages server
server^

One can use --dry-run to check what would apt do, when asked to install the server task:

$ apt --dry-run install server^
NOTE: This is only a simulation!
      apt-get needs root privileges for real execution.
      Keep also in mind that locking is deactivated,
      so don't depend on the relevance to the real current situation!
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Note, selecting 'cryptsetup-bin' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'lxc-common' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'screen' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'acpid' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'liblvm2cmd2.02' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'dmsetup' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'at' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'libmpfr4' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'ubuntu-cloudimage-keyring' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'python3-software-properties' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'cloud-initramfs-dyn-netconf' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'byobu' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'rename' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'update-notifier-common' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'git-man' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'acl' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'run-one' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'mdadm' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'python3-systemd' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'snapd' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'vlan' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'pastebinit' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'squashfs-tools' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'libdevmapper-event1.02.1' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'open-iscsi' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'perl-modules-5.22' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'dnsmasq-base' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'open-vm-tools' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'dmeventd' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'git' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'gawk' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'lvm2' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'libpolkit-agent-1-0' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'zerofree' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'python3-six' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'ubuntu-server' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'grub-legacy-ec2' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'lxd' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'python3-pycurl' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'liblxc1' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'libperl5.22' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'apport' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'xfsprogs' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'fonts-ubuntu-font-family-console' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'python3-apport' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'liblvm2app2.2' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'libmspack0' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'vim-runtime' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'libnetfilter-conntrack3' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'ubuntu-core-launcher' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'vim' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'xz-utils' for task 'server'
Note, selecting 'python3-pkg-resources' for task 'server'
Note,...

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

Note that all tasks in ubuntu are driven by seeds, and one can inspect the germinate output for all seeds at http://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-archive/germinate-output/

E.g.:

http://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-archive/germinate-output/ubuntu.xenial/server.seedtext

http://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu-archive/germinate-output/ubuntu.xenial/server.sources

Are possibly of interest. There are all sorts of expansions available - sources, build-depends, depends, recommends, etc.

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

I guess slightly better way to show packages in a given task is with help of grep-dctrl, e.g.

$ apt show server^ 2>/dev/null | grep-dctrl -s Package '.'
Package: acl
Package: acpid
Package: perl
Package: apport
Package: python3-apport
Package: apport-symptoms
Package: policykit-1
Package: python3-systemd
Package: at
Package: gawk
Package: python3-debian
Package: lxd-client
Package: xz-utils
Package: cryptsetup
Package: bcache-tools
Package: libgpm2
Package: liblzo2-2
Package: byobu
Package: python3-newt
Package: tmux
Package: screen
Package: pastebinit
Package: run-one
Package: update-notifier-common
Package: vim
Package: patch
Package: dmsetup
Package: cryptsetup-bin
Package: xfsprogs
Package: lvm2
Package: cloud-guest-utils
Package: python3-six
Package: software-properties-common
Package: cloud-initramfs-copymods
Package: cloud-initramfs-dyn-netconf
Package: libnetfilter-conntrack3
Package: libmpfr4
Package: curl
Package: dmeventd
Package: libdevmapper-event1.02.1
Package: liblvm2cmd2.02
Package: mdadm
Package: dns-root-data
Package: dnsmasq-base
Package: git
Package: ethtool
Package: libperl5.22
Package: fonts-ubuntu-font-family-console
Package: libsigsegv2
Package: libpolkit-agent-1-0
Package: liberror-perl
Package: git-man
Package: grub-legacy-ec2
Package: ifenslave
Package: lxd
Package: libmspack0
Package: liblvm2app2.2
Package: libdumbnet1
Package: libevent-2.0-5
Package: liblxc1
Package: lxc-common
Package: uidmap
Package: lxcfs
Package: perl-modules-5.22
Package: libpolkit-backend-1-0
Package: libreadline5
Package: libutempter0
Package: squashfs-tools
Package: python3-software-properties
Package: ubuntu-cloudimage-keyring
Package: open-iscsi
Package: vlan
Package: open-vm-tools
Package: zerofree
Package: overlayroot
Package: rename
Package: unattended-upgrades
Package: python3-pkg-resources
Package: python3-problem-report
Package: python3-chardet
Package: python3-pycurl
Package: snapd
Package: ubuntu-core-launcher
Package: sosreport
Package: ubuntu-server
Package: vim-runtime

Note with grep-dctrl one can efficiently grep for any package stanzas and filter/display only a subset of desired information.

[bugproxy (bugproxy)]

------- Comment From <email address hidden> 2018-04-03 11:01 EDT-------
IBM bugzilla status .> Closed, alternate solutuion available,