Hi there
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 11:23 PM, dE .<de.techno@gmail.com> wrote:
I was wondering if apt can be configured to install the required
dependencies from backports automatically, if the dependencies can't be
fulfilled from the stable repository.
This's pretty common with Debian multimedia packages which require packages
from backports.
Notice, by default apt should not prefer installing from backports if the
required dependency can be fulfilled without using it.
This's my current /etc/apt/preferences -
Package: *
Pin: release a=stable
Pin-Priority: 989
Package: *
Pin: release a=squeeze-backports
Pin-Priority: 499
Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 99
# not working
Package: *
Pin: release o=Unofficial Multimedia Packages
Pin-Priority: -100
Also another question which someone may like to answer is -- why am I not
able to disable the Debian multimedia repository with the above preferences?
I had this same problem not long ago and finally found an answer. This
is my apt preferences file:
$ cat /etc/apt/preferences
Package: *
Pin: release o=Debian,a=stable
Pin-Priority: 900
Package: *
Pin: release o=Debian,a=stable-updates
Pin-Priority: 900
Package: *
Pin: release a=squeeze-backports
Pin-Priority: 200
Package: *
Pin: origin "www.debian-multimedia.org"
Pin-Priority: 190
Package: *
Pin: origin "http://mozilla.debian.net";
Pin-Priority: 200
The key part for you are declaring the squeeze-backports and the
debian multimedia repos as I showed. This ensures squeeze-backports
takes precedence, but also packages installed from either repo will be
upgraded (when they get upgraded).
Hope this helps
Andres