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apt install --only-upgrade silently marks packages as manually installed

ru flag

I just realized that since I upgraded to Ubuntu 22.04, running apt install --only-upgrade some-package sometimes silently marks packages as manually installed. I find this really odd and annoying. As far as I can remember, it didn't do that in the past. Most certainly not silently.

I usually use this command when I want to install some, but not all, pending updates immediately, or to fix an update that is "kept back" (for no apparent reason). I was under the impression that this works / has worked in the past. I just want to keep package lists clean. What am I missing here? What is the logic behind this?

user535733 avatar
cn flag
As far as I can remember, it DID change the marking in the past. When you --the human-- specify a package for any install operation, apt marks that package 'manual'. The logic is simply that apt is is a tool to support the human's goals; when the human cares enough to specify a package, apt should reflect that. Some folks who use `--only-upgrade` are trying to outwit apt -- their workflow is suspect. But there is not enough information in the question to know if you are among them. Unexpected silence should be a bug report.
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