Verification of apt-get config for mixed system.

[Lloyd Zusman <ljz@asfast.com>]

I'd like to maintain a "testing" system, with only one program (and its
dependencies) coming from "unstable".  I think I understand what to do,
but I'm hoping that someone here could confirm that my guessed-at setup
is correct ... before I start making lots of "apt-get install" runs with
this configuration and then possibly mess up my system.

What I want to do is always just enter "apt-get install <package>",
without having to use the "-t distribution" parameter.  This way, I
don't have to keep remembering when to use and not use "-t ...".

So ... here's what I have:

In /etc/apt/apt.conf ...

  APT::Default-Release "testing";

In /etc/apt/preferences ...

  Package: mplayer*
  Pin: release a=unstable
  Pin-Priority: 700

  Package: *
  Pin: release a=testing
  Pin-Priority: 650

  Package: *
  Pin: release a=unstable
  Pin-Priority: 600

In other words, all packages come by default from "testing" except
"mplayer", which comes by default from "unstable".

My desired results are:

  apt-get install mplayer-686     => installs latest from "unstable"

  apt-get install other-package   => installs latest from "testing",
                                     unless "other-package" only exists
                                     in "unstable", in which case it
                                     installs from "unstable"

Do I have it right?

Thanks.


-- 
 Lloyd Zusman
 ljz@asfast.com