[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Two suggestions for woody release



On Thu, Jan 31, 2002 at 11:11:02PM -0500, Joey Hess wrote:
> Steve Langasek wrote:
> > Yes, of course there's apt pin support, but the people we're most 
> > concerned about not accidentally running unstable are the ones least 
> > capable of figuring out pin support on their own.  So for Thomas's idea 
> > to work, there needs to be either an easy interface to allow users to 
> > configure this functionality, or a failsafe pin config that does what's 
> > needed.  I agree though that as far as raw apt functionality is
> > concerned, we seem to already be where we need to be.

> Coming in a bit late here, but this parallels something I was thinking
> about today. base-config's apt-setup could easily add any set of
> distributuons to sources.list and set up an apt.conf file to pin to the
> release the user picks. The issues are:

> * Doesn't work for CD only installs.
> * Increases download time of apt-get update. Will this annoy users?
>   Would I have to ask if they want this done?

Assuming that apt-get update is followed immediately by an apt-get 
upgrade or apt-get dist-upgrade, isn't the download time for one more 
Packages file negligible?

> * base-config is supposed to be frozen already.

I think if the scope of the changes is limited, then it would be 
justified even at this late stage.  Setting up a failsafe 
/etc/apt/preferences and adding the additional lines to sources.list
IFF /etc/apt/preferences doesn't exist yet seems reasonable; trying to 
have apt-setup interactively prompt the user to pick a release seems too 
likely to introduce usability bugs, IMHO.

Steve Langasek
postmodern programmer

Attachment: pgperO9QGAIx6.pgp
Description: PGP signature


Reply to: