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Fix apt CLI stability warning by replacing apt with apt-get in installdependencies.sh #5253

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@Copilot Copilot AI commented Jun 24, 2025

This PR resolves the warning "WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts." that appears when running the Azure Pipelines Agent installation dependencies script on Debian-based systems.

Problem

The installdependencies.sh script was using the apt command, which is designed for interactive use and generates warnings when used in scripts:

WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.

Solution

Replaced all apt commands with apt-get equivalents, which provides a stable CLI interface specifically designed for scripting:

  • Before: apt update && apt install -y <packages>
  • After: apt-get update && apt-get install -y <packages>

Changes Made

  1. Updated comment from "prefer apt over apt-get" to "use apt-get for stable CLI interface in scripts"
  2. Changed package manager detection from command -v apt to command -v apt-get
  3. Replaced all apt update commands with apt-get update
  4. Replaced all apt install commands with apt-get install
  5. Updated error messages to reference apt-get instead of apt
  6. Simplified logic by removing the fallback to apt (since apt-get is always available when apt is)

Benefits

  • ✅ Eliminates the CLI stability warning completely
  • ✅ Uses the stable, script-friendly interface consistently
  • ✅ Maintains all existing functionality
  • ✅ Reduces code complexity by removing redundant fallback logic
  • ✅ More robust for automation scenarios

Testing

  • Script syntax validation passes
  • No remaining apt commands (only apt-get)
  • All error messages updated consistently
  • Integration test confirms warnings are eliminated

The fix is minimal and surgical, addressing the root cause while maintaining full backward compatibility.

Fixes #5149.


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Co-authored-by: sanjuyadav24 <185911972+sanjuyadav24@users.noreply.github.com>
@Copilot Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] [BUG]: WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts. Fix apt CLI stability warning by replacing apt with apt-get in installdependencies.sh Jun 24, 2025
@Copilot Copilot AI requested a review from sanjuyadav24 June 24, 2025 17:17
Copilot finished work on behalf of sanjuyadav24 June 24, 2025 17:17
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[BUG]: WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.
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