apt: added support for installing .deb files with virtual package dependencies.

lib/ansible/modules/apt.py

@@ -876,35 +876,35 @@ def install_deb(
                 installed_pkg = apt.Cache()[pkg_key]
                 installed_version = installed_pkg.installed.version
                 if package_version_compare(pkg_version, installed_version) == 0:
-                    # Does not need to down-/upgrade, move on to next package
                     continue
             except Exception:
-                # Must not be installed, continue with installation
                 pass
-            # Check if package is installable
             if not pkg.check():
-                if force or ("later version" in pkg._failure_string and allow_downgrade):
+                missing = getattr(pkg, "missing_deps", [])
+                all_virtual = all(cache.is_virtual_package(dep) for dep in missing)
+                if all_virtual:
+                    pass
+                elif force or ("later version" in pkg._failure_string and allow_downgrade):
                     pass
                 else:
                     m.fail_json(msg=pkg._failure_string)
 
-            # Handle virtual package dependencies properly
+            # handle virtual package dependencies properly
             missing_deps = []
             for dep in pkg.missing_deps:
-                if cache.is_virtual_package(dep):
-                    providers = cache.get_providing_packages(dep)
-                    if providers:
-                        # Check if any provider is already installed
-                        provider_installed = False
-                        for provider in providers:
-                            if provider in cache and cache[provider].installed:
-                                provider_installed = True
-                                break
-                        if not provider_installed:
+                try:
+                    if cache.is_virtual_package(dep):
+                        providers = cache.get_providing_packages(dep)
+                        if providers:
+                            if any(cache[p].installed for p in providers if p in cache):
+                                continue
+                            else:
+                                missing_deps.append(dep)
+                        else:
                             missing_deps.append(dep)
                     else:
                         missing_deps.append(dep)
-                else:
+                except Exception as e:
                     missing_deps.append(dep)
 
             deps_to_install.extend(missing_deps)
@@ -912,15 +912,12 @@ def install_deb(
         except Exception as e:
             m.fail_json(msg="Unable to install package: %s" % to_native(e))
 
-        # Install 'Recommends' of this deb file
         if install_recommends:
             pkg_recommends = get_field_of_deb(m, deb_file, "Recommends")
             deps_to_install.extend([pkg_name.strip() for pkg_name in pkg_recommends.split()])
 
-        # and add this deb to the list of packages to install
         pkgs_to_install.append(deb_file)
 
-    # install the deps through apt
     retvals = {}
     if deps_to_install:
         install_dpkg_options = f"{expand_dpkg_options(dpkg_options)} -o DPkg::Lock::Timeout={lock_timeout}"
@@ -950,6 +947,44 @@ def install_deb(
         with PolicyRcD(m):
             rc, out, err = m.run_command(cmd)
 
+        # handle missing virtual dependencies
+        if rc != 0 and "dependency problems" in err:
+            missing_deps = []
+            for line in err.splitlines():
+                if "depends on" in line and "however" in line:
+                    dep = line.split("depends on", 1)[1].split(";", 1)[0].strip()
+                    if dep:
+                        missing_deps.append(dep)
+
+            resolved = []
+            for dep in missing_deps:
+                try:
+                    if cache.is_virtual_package(dep):
+                        providers = cache.get_providing_packages(dep)
+                        if providers:
+                            provider = providers[0]
+                            resolved.append(provider.name)
+                except Exception:
+                    continue
+
+            if resolved:
+                m.warn("dpkg dependency error — virtual deps: %s → installing providers: %s"
+                       % (', '.join(missing_deps), ', '.join(resolved)))
+                (success, retvals) = install(
+                    m=m, pkgspec=resolved, cache=cache,
+                    install_recommends=True,
+                    fail_on_autoremove=fail_on_autoremove,
+                    allow_unauthenticated=allow_unauthenticated,
+                    allow_downgrade=allow_downgrade,
+                    allow_change_held_packages=allow_change_held_packages,
+                    dpkg_options=expand_dpkg_options(dpkg_options),
+                )
+                if not success:
+                    m.warn("Provider install failed, attempting apt --fix-broken install")
+                    m.run_command("/usr/bin/apt-get -y --fix-broken install")
+
+                rc, out, err = m.run_command(cmd)
+
         if "stdout" in retvals:
             stdout = retvals["stdout"] + out
         else:

test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt_virtual_pkg_fix.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+---
+- block:
+    - name: Create directory for test .deb
+      ansible.builtin.file:
+        path: /tmp/virtual-test/DEBIAN
+        state: directory
+
+    - name: Create a test .deb file that depends on a virtual package
+      ansible.builtin.shell: |
+        cat > /tmp/virtual-test/DEBIAN/control << EOF
+        Package: virtual-test-pkg
+        Version: 1.0
+        Architecture: all
+        Description: Test package depending on virtual package
+        Depends: mail-transport-agent
+        EOF
+        dpkg-deb --build /tmp/virtual-test /tmp/virtual-test.deb
+      args:
+        creates: /tmp/virtual-test.deb
+
+    - name: Remove any existing MTA providers
+      ansible.builtin.apt:
+        name:
+          - exim4
+          - postfix
+          - sendmail
+        state: absent
+
+    - name: Test the patch - install .deb with virtual package dependency
+      ansible.builtin.apt:
+        deb: /tmp/virtual-test.deb
+        state: present
+      register: patch_test_result
+
+    - name: Debug - Show patch test result
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        var: patch_test_result
+
+    - name: Check if a virtual package provider was automatically installed
+      ansible.builtin.shell: |
+        dpkg -l | grep -E "^ii" | grep -E "(exim|postfix|sendmail)" && echo "SUCCESS: Virtual package provider was installed" || echo "FAIL: No provider installed"
+      register: provider_check
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Show provider check result
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        var: provider_check.stdout
+
+    - name: Assert the patch worked
+      ansible.builtin.assert:
+        that:
+          - patch_test_result is succeeded
+          - "'SUCCESS' in provider_check.stdout"
+        fail_msg: "The patch failed to properly resolve virtual package dependencies when installing .deb files"
+
+  always:
+    - name: Clean up test package
+      ansible.builtin.file:
+        path: /tmp/virtual-test.deb
+        state: absent

test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/main.yml

@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
   - import_tasks: 'apt-builddep.yml'
 
+  - import_tasks: apt_virtual_pkg_fix.yml
+
   - block:
       - import_tasks: 'repo.yml'
     always:

test/integration/targets/apt_virtual_pkg_fix/aliases

@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-apt

test/integration/targets/apt_virtual_pkg_fix/meta/main.yml

@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
----
-# Ensure our fake APT repo is set up before running this test
-dependencies:
-  - setup_deb_repo

test/integration/targets/apt_virtual_pkg_fix/tasks/main.yml

@@ -1,58 +0,0 @@
----
-- name: Create directory for test .deb
-  ansible.builtin.file:
-    path: /tmp/virtual-test/DEBIAN
-    state: directory
-
-- name: Create a test .deb file that depends on a virtual package
-  ansible.builtin.shell: |
-    cat > /tmp/virtual-test/DEBIAN/control << EOF
-    Package: virtual-test-pkg
-    Version: 1.0
-    Architecture: all
-    Description: Test package depending on virtual package
-    Depends: mail-transport-agent
-    EOF
-    dpkg-deb --build /tmp/virtual-test /tmp/virtual-test.deb
-  args:
-    creates: /tmp/virtual-test.deb
-
-- name: Remove any existing MTA providers
-  ansible.builtin.apt:
-    name:
-      - exim4
-      - postfix  
-      - sendmail
-    state: absent
-
-- name: Test the patch - install .deb with virtual package dependency
-  ansible.builtin.apt:
-    deb: /tmp/virtual-test.deb
-    state: present
-  register: patch_test_result
-
-- name: Debug - Show patch test result
-  ansible.builtin.debug:
-    var: patch_test_result
-
-- name: Check if a virtual package provider was automatically installed
-  ansible.builtin.shell: |
-    dpkg -l | grep -E "^ii" | grep -E "(exim|postfix|sendmail)" && echo "SUCCESS: Virtual package provider was installed" || echo "FAIL: No provider installed"
-  register: provider_check
-  changed_when: false
-
-- name: Show provider check result
-  ansible.builtin.debug:
-    var: provider_check.stdout
-
-- name: Assert the patch worked
-  ansible.builtin.assert:
-    that:
-      - patch_test_result is succeeded
-      - "'SUCCESS' in provider_check.stdout"
-    fail_msg: "The patch failed to properly resolve virtual package dependencies when installing .deb files"
-
-- name: Clean up test package
-  ansible.builtin.file:
-    path: /tmp/virtual-test.deb
-    state: absent

test/integration/targets/setup_deb_repo/files/package_specs/stable/packagefour-1.0.0.ctl

@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-Section: misc
-Priority: optional
-Standards-Version: 2.3.3
-
-Package: packagefour
-Version: 1.0
-Architecture: all
-Description: Depends on virtual package
-Depends: mail-transport-agent

test/integration/targets/setup_deb_repo/files/package_specs/stable/packagethree-1.0.0.ctl

@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-Section: misc
-Priority: optional
-Standards-Version: 2.3.3
-
-Package: packagethree
-Version: 1.0
-Architecture: all
-Description: Provider of virtual package 'mail-transport-agent'
-Provides: mail-transport-agent