Re: openoffice for sparc (ie testing packages in debian stable)

[Leonardo Pistone <leo@matita.net>]

> Could you please tell me how to configure apt-get so that I could
> install a testing package of openoffice while maintaining a stable
> version of debian?

You can do that in two ways. I used the first one; it's simple and works.

1. add the needed testing line to /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free

then tell apt you want to stay to stable as a default, otherwise all
your packages will be upgraded to testing: add to /etc/apt/apt.conf
the line

APT::Default-Release "stable";

then, do a 'apt-get update' and then, 'apt-get install -t testing
openoffice.org'. Openoffice.org depends on some newer libraries, they
will be automatically upgraded to testing, too. If later you want to
see wich packages are from testing, do 'apt-show-versions | grep
unstable' (apt-get install apt-show-versions if needed)

2. You can use a feature called pinning, giving priorities to
   packages, but i never used it. The other approach just works.

If you see apt-get wants to upgrade too many packages and you don't
want such a messed up system, you can instead use a nonofficial
openoffice package for stable. try www.apt-get.org.

Leo