python-apt output does not go to log file

This affects both upstream bits, as well as the apt handler, thus adding ubuntu task as well.

FYI, in Jaunty jockey now logs to /var/log/jockey.log by default, thus no need to restart it in debug mode.

In fact the upstream code does not have this problem, all subprocess calls handle stderr appropriately.

Problem is that apt.Cache().commit() writes those messages to stdout/err itself; I consult Michael Vogt about this.

Michael, any idea how I can stop apt.Cache().commit() from printing stuff to stdout/stderr? I'd like to retain the messages, ideally to a pipe or a StringIO object.

Michael says I can overwrite the fork() method in apt.InstallProgress and use os.dup2().

So I tried that: I overrode fork() and diverted stdout and stderr to a file in the child process. However, it doesn't work, python-apt still directly outputs to stdout/err.

Note to self: This can be tested in the jockey branch with

sudo dpkg -P pmount; sudo rm /tmp/log; sudo PYTHONPATH=. python -c 'import apt, jockey.oslib, logging; logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG, filename="/tmp/log"); jockey.oslib.OSLib().install_package("pmount", lambda p, c, t: None)'; echo '------'; cat /tmp/log

Thanks, Michael. Turns out that TemporaryFile() works perfectly as well, I just stupidly rerouted the parent's stdout/err instead of the child's.

jockey/ubuntu r325

This bug was fixed in the package jockey - 0.5-0ubuntu5

---------------
jockey (0.5-0ubuntu5) jaunty; urgency=low

  * Add debian/watch.
  * Add bzr-builddeb configuration.
  * data/handlers/fglrx.py: Enable again, 2:8.600-0ubuntu1 works on Jaunty
    now.
  * Merge bug fixes from trunk:
    - Fix KernelModuleHandler.available() to return False when the handler
      package is not available. This fixes the situation that Jockey
      advertises e. g. the nvidia driver before apt-get update was run, or on
      "free software only" installs. (LP: #341647)
    - kde/jockey-kde.desktop.in: Do not run as root any more, PolicyKit-KDE
      exists now; update README.txt
    - kde/jockey-kde: Port to knotify4. UIF exception approval and original
      patch by Jonathan Riddell. Now properly i18n'ed and integrated into
      standard build system.
    - Update German translations.
  * debian/control: Add policykit-kde dependency to jockey-kde.
  * Add madwifi handler (merged from trunk). This now takes care of properly
    flipping the blacklisting between ath5k and ath_pci (LP: #323830), and
    fixes the description and freeness state (LP: #290264)
  * jockey/oslib.py: Overwrite apt.InstallProgress.fork() to capture the
    child's stdout/stderr into temporary files, and then send that to logging.
    Before this, apt/dpkg output was sent to oblivion, making it hard to
    remotely debug package installation problems. (LP: #280291)

 -- Martin Pitt <email address hidden> Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:04:01 +0100