Tim Kelley wrote:
On Friday 14 November 2003 2:48 pm, Jeffrey W. Pearson wrote:Ive figured out how I broke my apt install and fixed it. Ive installed MySQL, and php4 and php4-mysql. Im running the stable version of the Debian.....One thing I notice is they are all old versions but when I run the apt-update it tells me they are all up to date.....How do I get them upgraded to the latest versions? (php 4.3.4 and mysql 4.0.16).....You don't understand - once debian becomes "stable", no changes other than security fixes go into the branch, so the software stays the same until the next "testing" goes "stable".
To put it another way.... Debian has a different approach to how this whole package stuff is done.Things that they know work well together and don't have any dependency problems or other obscure issues interacting with each other end up in -stable. This is the installation platform to start from because it has the highest gaurantee to not only work but stay working.
As a rule of thumb, -stable is something to start with and for running servers.
After some familiarity many people start using the -testing branch for their workstations. This does not have the surety of -stable to work every day. But it does have newer software in it.
Then, if you are insisting on the newest of the new, there's -unstable and -expiremental.
However, 'man apt_preferences' will show you how you can run a system with -stable by default and -testing on demand. But you have to RTM a bit first! :)
Hope this helps.