synaptic search does not find m4, a2ps

[ansdell]

Binary package hint: synaptic

Intrepid i386 beta installed as new from download CD and updated via UK server with just main and universe repositories.
m4 package not visible for install from synaptic via search or quick search, even after restricted repositories re-enabled (just in case reclassified as non-free).
m4 installed OK from intrepid/main using apt-get install m4
later found m4 visible in syntactic on scrolling through 'all' under synaptic

Similar behaviour found with a2ps, m4-doc, m2c -- these could be installed via synaptic once I realised search could not find them on this release.

In general, synaptic search seems to behave at least non-intuitively but more marked with names that include numeric chars.

:~$ lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu intrepid (development branch)
Release: 8.10

:~$ apt-cache policy synaptic
synaptic:
  Installed: 0.62.1ubuntu9
  Candidate: 0.62.1ubuntu9
  Version table:
 *** 0.62.1ubuntu9 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

?? synaptic quick search needs two characters to activate -- do both need to be alpha rather than numeric (e.g. a2 quick search doesn't show a2ps)?

Thanks

[ansdell (mansdell)]

Beta re-installed on same machine, all patches to date applied, problem not reproducible.