apt-get produces empty space/lines

same on ubuntu hardy beta

This is quite weird, I can see the same behaviour here when I repeat the install command enough times (around 10 times, but sometimes less). I can reproduce this in both gnome-terminal and xterm, but not at the console. It also results in extra bash prompts after the command. And the number of extra lines is not consistent.

The same thing happens with dpkg -i, it also prints a lot of extra new lines.

I have the same problem with aptitude on Hardy Beta

I also observe this with aptitude commands using konsole on hardy. In fact, it's a bit of a security risk because it will skip the Y/N prompt (sometimes) when doing a full-upgrade.

Confirmed in Ubuntu Hardy 8.04 RC with apt-get and aptitude in gnome-terminal. This problem seems annoying enough to warrant fixing for the final release.

It's inconsistent but fairly frequent -- just abort and retry until it happens. (As pauls mentions) if they output the extra line breaks, apt-get and aptitude also skip the Y/N prompt. I've observed it in apt-get and aptitude only when running dpkg-related commands (e.g. install, [safe-]upgrade, and remove).

(apt 0.7.9ubuntu16, aptitude 0.4.9-2ubuntu5, dpkg 1.14.16.6ubuntu3)

This also goes beyond the terminal and apt get. I'm getting repeat keys in firefox search bars and on-line forms as well. I also tried running hardy RC in a virtualbox and had the same problem in konsole on it, so that rules out my specific hardware (I think). Maybe it's a usb keyboard bug or maybe something with access X in xorg. I've tried using "bounce keys" to eliminate a keyboard key sticking issue, but the same thing happens. I've also tried with and without sticky keys enable .. no change. I've also tried different xorg drivers (the virtualbox type, the ati open source driver, the fglrx proprietary driver) and all do it.

??

Pauls, that sounds like a separate bug to me. I don't experience any problems except with dpkg printing extra newlines -- no other applications, no other characters. Have you tried a different keyboard?

Kubuntu Hardy Heron RC:

aptitude not only generates empty lines but after a run it sends a lot of "Return" keys to the terminal; as a result there is a lot of command prompt lines like this:

username@host:~$
username@host:~$
username@host:~$
username@host:~$

If apt-get / aptitude find some problems with dependencies, it generates a proposal of a solution, something like:
"Accept this solution [Y/n/q/?]",
the problem is that now due to these artificial "Return" keys it assumes automatically the default answer Y without waiting for user prompt.

It's even unbearable in openoffice and kedit. For example, for the word scan, as soon as I hit sc it prints sccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc.

Regarding the keyboard, how come it works fine in gutsy (on another partition) and also $M vista. I don't think it's a keyboard hardware problem, but could be software. If I can't troubleshoot it may prevent me from hardy, it's so bad.

And still a problem with aptitude.

This is a duplicate of bug #218516, which has a kernel patch coming. So, hang in there for the fixxxxxxxxx.

regards,

This seams to be fixed in kernel 2.6.24-17 (hardy-proposed)