Re: apt-get -t, the real story
On Sam, 2002-08-31 at 08:54, Ian Zimmerman wrote:
>
> Can someone please explain to me, at long last, how the apt-get -t
> option really works (or is supposed to)? The manpage says:
>
> -t
>
> --target-release
>
> --default-release
>
> This option controls the default input to the
> policy engine, it creates a default pin at pri-
> ority 990 using the specified release string. The
> preferences file may further override this
> setting. In short, this option lets you have
> simple control over which distribution packages
> will be retrieved from. Some common examples might
> be -t `2.1*' or -t unstable.
>
> This gives the impression it instructs apt to prefer packages
> according to fields of the respective Release files, as documented in
> apt_preferences(5). But _which field_ ?? "unstable" would be in
> the Archive: field but "2.1" would be in the Version: field!
I guess either, the one which applies to the argument passed to -t.
> The reason I ask is that I cannot persuade apt to do the right thing
> with my (peculiar) kind of sources.list file:
>
> [...]
>
> deb ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian testing main
> deb ftp://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US testing non-US/main
> deb ftp://security.debian.org/debian-security testing/updates main
> deb ftp://security.debian.org/debian-security stable/updates main
>
> [...]
>
> No matter what I do, I can't make apt prefer a security-fixed version
> from stable over a later (yet unfixed) version from testing.
Do you already have a newer version installed than is available in
stable? One thing -t doesn't do is downgrade - I understand 990 is too
low a priority for that.
--
Earthling Michel Dänzer (MrCooper)/ Debian GNU/Linux (powerpc) developer
XFree86 and DRI project member / CS student, Free Software enthusiast
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