apt-cache rdepends returns cryptic error message

Confirming, I'm seeing this regression in behavior for apt-cache rdepends on maverick vs. lucid as well.

Not just apt-cache rdepends, even depends returns the same error. Perhaps the error returned by other options i.e.
                 N: Unable to locate package <package name>
could be printed instead.

Fixed in revision 2054 of debian-sid, must be merged.

This bug was fixed in the package apt - 0.8.10ubuntu1

---------------
apt (0.8.10ubuntu1) natty; urgency=low

  [ Julian Andres Klode ]
  * cmdline/apt-cache.cc: Create an error for apt-cache depends
    if packages could not found (LP: #647045)

  [ Michael Vogt ]
  * merged from debian-sid

apt (0.8.10) unstable; urgency=low

  [ Programs translations ]
  * Czech by Miroslav Kure. Closes: #605107

  [ Martin Pitt ]
  * test/integration/test-compressed-indexes, test/test-indexes.sh:
    - Explicitly disable compressed indexes at the start. This ensures that we
      will actually test uncompressed indexes regardless of the internal
      default value of Acquire::GzipIndexes.

  [ David Kalnischkies ]
  * apt-pkg/algorithms.cc:
    - mark all installed packages first without auto installation in
      a dist-upgrade to prefer upgrading packages instead of installing
      new packages in versioned or-groups (Closes: #605394)
 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:53:49 +0100