dpkg based distributions and package suggestions

m4rtin · 07-08-2011, 04:17 AM

For example under Ubuntu 10.10 if I execute wrong package name, I get suggestions to actual programs:

Code:

martin@martin-ThinkPad-T60:~$ both
No command 'both' found, did you mean:
 Command 'bosh' from package 'bosh' (universe)
both: command not found
martin@martin-ThinkPad-T60:~$ npat
No command 'npat' found, did you mean:
 Command 'ncat' from package 'nmap' (main)
 Command 'pat' from package 'dist' (universe)
 Command 'kpat' from package 'kpat' (main)
npat: command not found
martin@martin-ThinkPad-T60:~$

How is this service called, which provides those suggestions?

carltm · 07-08-2011, 09:31 PM

In Debian the package is named command-not-found, and I'll bet
it goes by the same name in Ubuntu.

That package creates a function in the shell that runs when
a specific error is generated. Of course this error is
"command not found" error.