Implement provides command

[mcurlej]

• Command: provides

  • Priority medium

• Aliases: prov, whatprovides, wp

  • To many aliases - proposing to keep whatprovides or no aliases at all
  • Priority low

• dnf [options] provides <provide-spec>

Finds the packages providing the given <provide-spec>. This is useful when one knows a filename and wants to find what package (installed or not) provides this file. The <provide-spec> is gradually looked for at following locations:

• 1. The <provide-spec> is matched with all file provides of any available package:

- [ ] $ dnf provides /usr/bin/gzip

gzip-1.9-9.fc29.x86_64 : The GNU data compression program
Matched from:
Filename    : /usr/bin/gzip

2. Then all provides of all available packages are searched:

$ dnf provides "gzip(x86-64)"
gzip-1.9-9.fc29.x86_64 : The GNU data compression program
Matched from:
Provide     : gzip(x86-64) = 1.9-9.fc29

3. DNF assumes that the <provide-spec> is a system command, prepends it with /usr/bin/, /usr/sbin/ prefixes (one at a time) and does the file provides search again. For legacy reasons (packages that didn’t do UsrMove) also /bin and /sbin prefixes are being searched:

• $ dnf provides zless

gzip-1.9-9.fc29.x86_64 : The GNU data compression program
Matched from:
Filename    : /usr/bin/zless

4. If this last step also fails, DNF returns “Error: No Matches found”.

This command by default does not force a sync of expired metadata. See also Metadata Synchronization.

[glum23]

dnf commands provides/whatprovides together with options --provides/--whatprovides are pretty confusing. It'd be nice to reduce this confusion in dnf5. How about marking "provides" command as obsoleted (without any aliases) and suggest to use the options instead?

[modzilla99]

dnf commands provides/whatprovides together with options --provides/--whatprovides are pretty confusing. It'd be nice to reduce this confusion in dnf5. How about marking "provides" command as obsoleted (without any aliases) and suggest to use the options instead?

I understand what you mean. But I'm in favor of keeping at least the "provides" subcommand. I don't use "whatprovides" or any of the flags. I think there are already to many flags and using a subcommand is much easier to learn as I know some that use "provide" as well. It's also nice for tab completion.

[inknos]

@glum23
a note:
dnf provides gives a bit more context than dnf repoquery --whatprovides

$ dnf repoquery --whatprovides bash
bash-0:5.1.16-4.fc37.x86_64
bash-0:5.2.15-1.fc37.i686
bash-0:5.2.15-1.fc37.x86_64

$ dnf provides bash
Last metadata expiration check: 0:00:40 ago on Út 18. dubna 2023, 12:01:24.
bash-5.1.16-4.fc37.x86_64 : The GNU Bourne Again shell
Repo        : fedora
Matched from:
Provide    : bash = 5.1.16-4.fc37

bash-5.2.15-1.fc37.i686 : The GNU Bourne Again shell
Repo        : updates
Matched from:
Provide    : bash = 5.2.15-1.fc37

bash-5.2.15-1.fc37.x86_64 : The GNU Bourne Again shell
Repo        : @System
Matched from:
Provide    : bash = 5.2.15-1.fc37

bash-5.2.15-1.fc37.x86_64 : The GNU Bourne Again shell
Repo        : updates
Matched from:
Provide    : bash = 5.2.15-1.fc37

provides also highlights matching Provide or File and so it carries more information than --whatprovides

[inknos]

The command is implemented.

No alias were implemented.

I would like to dnf provides "gzip(x86-64)" is documented but actually does not work (tested on fedora:latest container). Should we remove that piece of documentation?

[root@77f6b5af11a0 /]# dnf provides -q "gzip(x86-64)"
Error: No matches found. If searching for a file, try specifying the full path or using a wildcard prefix ("*/") at the beginning.

[j-mracek]

With DNF4 it works:
dnf-4.18.1-20231201005453.10.gcb54681d.fc38.noarch

dnf provides "gzip(x86-64)"
Last metadata expiration check: 0:10:37 ago on Wed 06 Dec 2023 09:44:00 AM CET.
gzip-1.12-3.fc38.x86_64 : GNU data compression program
Repo        : @System
Matched from:
Provide    : gzip(x86-64) = 1.12-3.fc38

gzip-1.12-3.fc38.x86_64 : GNU data compression program
Repo        : fedora
Matched from:
Provide    : gzip(x86-64) = 1.12-3.fc38

[inknos]

something must be wrong on my side then

[m-blaha]

something must be wrong on my side then

Doesn't your laptop use a different architecture?

[inknos]

Doesn't your laptop use a different architecture?

it does, I tried it on aarch too

[j-mracek]

dnf provides "gzip(x86-64)" --forcearch='x86_64' should help or try dnf provides "gzip(aarch-64)" for aarch64

[inknos]

dnf provides "gzip(x86-64)" --forcearch='x86_64' should help or try dnf provides "gzip(aarch-64)" for aarch64

works. I am confused now. why do I have to use aarch-64 when the packages are aarch64?

for example, this would work

dnf4 provides "gzip(aarch-64)" --forcearch=aarch64

but not this

dnf4 provides "gzip(aarch-64)" --forcearch=aarch-64

[jan-kolarik]

I am closing this as all provides functionality is implemented now, except the arch-specific scenarios which need to be clarified in the follow-up ticket.