Thanks everyone for the discussion so far, I'm trying to add a few details and fill a few argumentative gaps.
First let me re-share the simple scenario which I used to illustrate/prove the issues.
Then in another comment below I'll outline a few affects of this overall case.
Example:
On bionic install it "wrong" not using the meta package
$ apt install apache2 libapache2-mod-php7.2
$ do-release-upgrade
Before:
# dpkg -l | grep -e apache -e php
ii apache2 2.4.29-1ubuntu4.23 amd64 Apache HTTP Server
ii apache2-bin 2.4.29-1ubuntu4.23 amd64 Apache HTTP Server (modules and other binary files)
ii apache2-data 2.4.29-1ubuntu4.23 all Apache HTTP Server (common files)
ii apache2-utils 2.4.29-1ubuntu4.23 amd64 Apache HTTP Server (utility programs for web servers)
ii libapache2-mod-php7.2 7.2.24-0ubuntu0.18.04.11 amd64 server-side, HTML-embedded scripting language (Apache 2 module)
ii php-common 1:60ubuntu1 all Common files for PHP packages
ii php7.2-cli 7.2.24-0ubuntu0.18.04.11 amd64 command-line interpreter for the PHP scripting language
ii php7.2-common 7.2.24-0ubuntu0.18.04.11 amd64 documentation, examples and common module for PHP
ii php7.2-json 7.2.24-0ubuntu0.18.04.11 amd64 JSON module for PHP
ii php7.2-opcache 7.2.24-0ubuntu0.18.04.11 amd64 Zend OpCache module for PHP
ii php7.2-readline 7.2.24-0ubuntu0.18.04.11 amd64 readline module for PHP
After:
# dpkg -l | grep -e apache -e php
ii apache2 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.11 amd64 Apache HTTP Server
ii apache2-bin 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.11 amd64 Apache HTTP Server (modules and other binary files)
ii apache2-data 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.11 all Apache HTTP Server (common files)
ii apache2-utils 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.11 amd64 Apache HTTP Server (utility programs for web servers)
ii php-common 2:75 all Common files for PHP packages
There are other variations of the bug, but they all end in a similar situation like this.
And with that situation PHP execution is essentially "off"
Thanks everyone for the discussion so far, I'm trying to add a few details and fill a few argumentative gaps.
First let me re-share the simple scenario which I used to illustrate/prove the issues.
Then in another comment below I'll outline a few affects of this overall case.
Example:
On bionic install it "wrong" not using the meta package mod-php7. 2
$ apt install apache2 libapache2-
$ do-release-upgrade
Before: mod-php7. 2 7.2.24- 0ubuntu0. 18.04.11 amd64 server-side, HTML-embedded scripting language (Apache 2 module) 0ubuntu0. 18.04.11 amd64 command-line interpreter for the PHP scripting language 0ubuntu0. 18.04.11 amd64 documentation, examples and common module for PHP 0ubuntu0. 18.04.11 amd64 JSON module for PHP 0ubuntu0. 18.04.11 amd64 Zend OpCache module for PHP 0ubuntu0. 18.04.11 amd64 readline module for PHP
# dpkg -l | grep -e apache -e php
ii apache2 2.4.29-1ubuntu4.23 amd64 Apache HTTP Server
ii apache2-bin 2.4.29-1ubuntu4.23 amd64 Apache HTTP Server (modules and other binary files)
ii apache2-data 2.4.29-1ubuntu4.23 all Apache HTTP Server (common files)
ii apache2-utils 2.4.29-1ubuntu4.23 amd64 Apache HTTP Server (utility programs for web servers)
ii libapache2-
ii php-common 1:60ubuntu1 all Common files for PHP packages
ii php7.2-cli 7.2.24-
ii php7.2-common 7.2.24-
ii php7.2-json 7.2.24-
ii php7.2-opcache 7.2.24-
ii php7.2-readline 7.2.24-
After:
# dpkg -l | grep -e apache -e php
ii apache2 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.11 amd64 Apache HTTP Server
ii apache2-bin 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.11 amd64 Apache HTTP Server (modules and other binary files)
ii apache2-data 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.11 all Apache HTTP Server (common files)
ii apache2-utils 2.4.41-4ubuntu3.11 amd64 Apache HTTP Server (utility programs for web servers)
ii php-common 2:75 all Common files for PHP packages
There are other variations of the bug, but they all end in a similar situation like this.
And with that situation PHP execution is essentially "off"