AW: Question why multiarch is considered by apt 3.1.16, investigation of a problem in mkosi

Thank you very much for your input!

I investigated the issue a bit further in a Ubuntu 26.04 Daily Build VM without mkosi at all.

The settings within the VM are:
APT::Architecture="amd64"
APT::Architectures="amd64"
dpkg --print-architecture => "amd64"
dpkg --print-foreign-architectures => ""

I put the apt sources with amd64 from archive.ubuntu.com and armhf+arm64 from ports.ubuntu.com to the VMs /etc/apt/sources.list.d

When i try:
sudo apt install '?essential'

I see the the pattern i described:
package :...
              Conflicts: package:armhf
              Conflicts: package:arm64
 package:armhf :...
                    Conflicts: package but version is to be installed
                    Conflicts: package:arm64
 package:arm64 : ...
                    Conflicts: package but version is to be installed
                    Conflicts: package:armhf

But when i try:
sudo apt install 'base-files'

it works without problems.

So my conclusion is:
"normal" package names a implicitly appended by APT::Architecture(s), but apt-patterns are not. Should the missing appending/filtering of apt-pattern not to be considered as bug, since it looks quite inconsistent and as a user of apt you easily do the mistake which was done in mkosi?

> You posted your message to a public mailing list and thus your message is
>already copied and available to many others even outside this list.

I am aware of that, but its automatically appended by the mail server and i cannot change it. See yourself and the public as the audience these emails are addressed to ;)

Greetings,
André


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________________________________
Von: Johannes Schauer Marin Rodrigues
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 26. März 2026 11:33
An: Wagner Andre
Cc: [email protected]
Betreff: Re: Question why multiarch is considered by apt 3.1.16, investigation of a problem in mkosi

Hi,

Quoting Wagner Andre (2026-03-26 11:04:42)
> For solving this problem I replaced '?essential' by '?essential
> ?architecture(amd64)', now only "amd64" packages are considered and the
> install works.
>
> Can someone explain to me why this happens and if the workaround i did is a
> good idea or are there better and more reliable solutions?

this is because ?essential select packages which have Essential:yes and that
matches packages from any architecture. In mmdebstrap we are using:

?narrow(...,?architecture(...),?essential)

Note also how some configuration settings to apt have to be specified via a
configuration file passed to it with the APT_CONFIG environment variable. This
is because settings like Dir::Etc are evaluated *before* apt takes command line
arguments into account. Does your /etc outside /buildroot maybe include armhf?

For example, look at the man page of mmdebstrap in the section OPERATION to see
a minimal example for how to set up a minimal chroot with apt only. Note how
that example is not using apt options like you do but creates a temporary
configuration file and passes that to apt via APT_CONFIG.

> This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
> solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed.
> If you are not the intended addressee, or the person responsible for
> delivering it to them, you may not copy, forward, disclose, or otherwise use
> it or any part of it in any way. To do so may be unlawful. If you receive
> this e-mail by mistake, please advise the sender immediately.

You posted your message to a public mailing list and thus your message is
already copied and available to many others even outside this list.

Thanks!

cheers, josch