updateinfo is less useful than in dnf4: hard to see changelogs

[juhp]

I dunno how to use updateinfo anymore, it seems my (common?) use-case was not considered when porting from dnf4.

I only use dnf updateinfo to view all the latest changelogs or rather update info from Bodhi, before running dnf update.

Unfortunately with current dnf5, updateinfo info output is dominated by rpm package lists for all architectures (why is this useful?).

Could the old behavior please be restored or supported in some way at the very least? Even reducing the list of rpm archs would help a bit.

[juhp]

eg this is one of the current f42 updates for me:

With dnf5 updateinfo info:

Name        : FEDORA-2025-bab1162178
Title       : openssl-3.2.4-3.fc42
Severity    : None
Type        : bugfix
Status      : testing
Vendor      : [email protected]
Issued      : 2025-03-13 13:07:16
Description : Proper providing of default cipher string file on compilation
Message     : 
Rights      : Copyright (C) 2025 Red Hat, Inc. and others.
Reference   : 
  Title     : Missing /etc/crypto-policies/back-ends/openssl.config breaks curl / openssl
  Id        : 2351864
  Type      : bugzilla
  Url       : https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2351864
Collection  : 
  Packages  : openssl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.src
            : openssl-libs-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.i686
            : openssl-libs-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.i686
            : openssl-debugsource-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.i686
            : openssl-devel-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.i686
            : openssl-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.i686
            : openssl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.i686
            : openssl-devel-engine-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.i686
            : openssl-perl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.i686
            : openssl-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.x86_64
            : openssl-libs-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.x86_64
            : openssl-devel-engine-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.x86_64
            : openssl-libs-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.x86_64
            : openssl-perl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.x86_64
            : openssl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.x86_64
            : openssl-debugsource-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.x86_64
            : openssl-devel-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.x86_64
            : openssl-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.aarch64
            : openssl-libs-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.aarch64
            : openssl-perl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.aarch64
            : openssl-devel-engine-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.aarch64
            : openssl-libs-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.aarch64
            : openssl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.aarch64
            : openssl-debugsource-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.aarch64
            : openssl-devel-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.aarch64
            : openssl-devel-engine-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.ppc64le
            : openssl-libs-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.ppc64le
            : openssl-perl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.ppc64le
            : openssl-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.ppc64le
            : openssl-libs-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.ppc64le
            : openssl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.ppc64le
            : openssl-debugsource-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.ppc64le
            : openssl-devel-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.ppc64le
            : openssl-libs-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.s390x
            : openssl-libs-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.s390x
            : openssl-debugsource-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.s390x
            : openssl-devel-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.s390x
            : openssl-debuginfo-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.s390x
            : openssl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.s390x
            : openssl-devel-engine-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.s390x
            : openssl-perl-1:3.2.4-3.fc42.s390x

The old output:

With dnf4 updateinfo info:

===============================================================================
  openssl-3.2.4-3.fc42
===============================================================================
  Update ID: FEDORA-2025-bab1162178
       Type: bugfix
    Updated: 2025-03-13 21:07:16
       Bugs: 2351864 - Missing /etc/crypto-policies/back-ends/openssl.config breaks curl / openssl
Description: Proper providing of default cipher string file on compilation
   Severity: None

Note how it only mentions installed rpm packages.

The new output format is really hard to read for me, at least quickly.

[juhp]

Furthermore the updates are no longer listed in lexical source package order, but I could open a separate issue for that.

[kontura]

Unfortunately with current dnf5, updateinfo info output is dominated by rpm package lists for all architectures (why is this useful?).

One of our goals for all the info commands in dnf5 was to show all available information. I believe that is also useful. The way I think about it is that the info command is most used when querying information about a specific Advisory. I do agree that showing all advisories at once is too much information.

Note how it only mentions installed rpm packages.

I might not understand correctly but I think the dnf4 updateinfo info doesn't list rpm packages at all (unless the -v switch is used).

Can I ask what information are you generally interested in from the updateinfo info output?
To me it sounds like the updateinfo list command would be a better match for your use case. It shows only the relevant rpms from a given Advisory.

Furthermore the updates are no longer listed in lexical source package order, but I could open a separate issue for that.

They were sorted by the value that dnf5 calls Title and I agree we should fix that.