dpkg --foreign-architecture does not work

[Sitsofe Wheeler]

Description of the problem:
Trying to use dpkg --foreign-architecture results in an error message.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Run
sudo dpkg --foreign-architecture i386

Expected result:
Foreign architecture i386 to be added to dpkg.

Actual result:
The following error message is printed:
# dpkg --foreign-architecture i386
dpkg: error: need an action option

Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*];
Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management;
Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;

Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through `less' or `more' !
root@ubuntu:~#

How reproducible is the problem?
It is reproducible every time.

Additional information:
Here is what the man page says for --foreign-architecture:
ACTIONS
[...]
       --foreign-architecture architecture
              Add architecture to the list of architectures for which
              packages can be installed without using --force-architec‐
              ture, in addition to the architecture dpkg is built for
              (i.e.: the output of --print-architecture).

So because it is in the ACTIONS section it is itself an action option (like --print-foreign-architectures).

Version information:
Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS
dpkg 1.16.1.2ubuntu

[N1ck 7h0m4d4k15 (nicktux)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better. Examining the information you have given us, this does not appear to be a bug report.

Please read an (invalid) similar bug report (bug #1123034).

Also read the linked question and the answer here:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dpkg/+question/221647

Best Regards
    NikTh

[Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe)]

Nik.Th:
Closing this invalid is not the right approach. I'm not (necessarily) asking for --add-architecture - I'm asking for what is documented to work. If --foreign-architecture is not going to be implemented it should be removed from the man page. Implementing it or updating the man page are both valid approaches.

[Adam Conrad (adconrad)]

This is fixed in newer versions of dpkg. It's not worth an upload just to fix the manpage in precise, but if someone wants to tack it on to another dpkg SRU, more power to them.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

The Precise Pangolin has reached end of life, so this bug will not be fixed for that release