added --allow-change-held-packages for apt remove (#78203)

* added --allow-change-held-packages for apt remove

* add tests for apt remove (allow_change_held_packages=yes)

* add changelog for apt remove (allow-change-held-packages=yes)

* update tests for apt remove (allow_change_held_packages=yes)

3 files changed, 79 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/apt-remove_allow-change-held-packages.yml b/changelogs/fragments/apt-remove_allow-change-held-packages.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0a10277947c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/apt-remove_allow-change-held-packages.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - apt - add allow-change-held-packages option to apt remove (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/78131)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py b/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
index 1b7c5d2933d..ba0aed050d4 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/apt.py
@@ -929,7 +929,8 @@ def install_deb(
 
 
 def remove(m, pkgspec, cache, purge=False, force=False,
-           dpkg_options=expand_dpkg_options(DPKG_OPTIONS), autoremove=False):
+           dpkg_options=expand_dpkg_options(DPKG_OPTIONS), autoremove=False,
+           allow_change_held_packages=False):
     pkg_list = []
     pkgspec = expand_pkgspec_from_fnmatches(m, pkgspec, cache)
     for package in pkgspec:
@@ -962,7 +963,21 @@ def remove(m, pkgspec, cache, purge=False, force=False,
         else:
             check_arg = ''
 
-        cmd = "%s -q -y %s %s %s %s %s remove %s" % (APT_GET_CMD, dpkg_options, purge, force_yes, autoremove, check_arg, packages)
+        if allow_change_held_packages:
+            allow_change_held_packages = '--allow-change-held-packages'
+        else:
+            allow_change_held_packages = ''
+
+        cmd = "%s -q -y %s %s %s %s %s %s remove %s" % (
+            APT_GET_CMD,
+            dpkg_options,
+            purge,
+            force_yes,
+            autoremove,
+            check_arg,
+            allow_change_held_packages,
+            packages
+        )
 
         with PolicyRcD(m):
             rc, out, err = m.run_command(cmd)
@@ -1470,7 +1485,16 @@ def main():
                 else:
                     module.fail_json(**retvals)
             elif p['state'] == 'absent':
-                remove(module, packages, cache, p['purge'], force=force_yes, dpkg_options=dpkg_options, autoremove=autoremove)
+                remove(
+                    module,
+                    packages,
+                    cache,
+                    p['purge'],
+                    force=force_yes,
+                    dpkg_options=dpkg_options,
+                    autoremove=autoremove,
+                    allow_change_held_packages=allow_change_held_packages
+                )
 
         except apt.cache.LockFailedException as lockFailedException:
             if time.time() < deadline:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml b/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
index d273eda71e2..a0bc19929f6 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/apt/tasks/apt.yml
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@
       - libcaca-dev
       - libslang2-dev
 
-# https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/38995
+# # https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/38995
 - name: build-dep for a package
   apt:
     name: tree
@@ -524,6 +524,55 @@
       - "allow_change_held_packages_no_update is not changed"
       - "allow_change_held_packages_hello_version.stdout == allow_change_held_packages_hello_version_again.stdout"
 
+# Remove pkg on hold
+- name: Put hello on hold
+  shell: apt-mark hold hello
+
+- name: Get hold list
+  shell: apt-mark showhold
+  register: hello_hold
+
+- name: Check that the package hello is on the hold list
+  assert:
+    that:
+      - "'hello' in hello_hold.stdout"
+
+- name: Try removing package hello
+  apt:
+    name: hello
+    state: absent
+  register: package_removed
+  ignore_errors: true
+
+- name: verify the package is not removed with dpkg
+  shell: dpkg -l hello
+  register: dpkg_result
+
+- name: Verify that package was not removed
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - package_removed is failed
+    - dpkg_result is success
+
+- name: Try removing package (allow_change_held_packages=yes)
+  apt:
+    name: hello
+    state: absent
+    allow_change_held_packages: yes
+  register: package_removed
+
+- name: verify the package is removed with dpkg
+  shell: dpkg -l hello
+  register: dpkg_result
+  ignore_errors: true
+
+- name: Verify that package removal was succesfull
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - package_removed is success
+    - dpkg_result is failed
+    - package_removed.changed
+
 # Virtual package
 - name: Install a virtual package
   apt: