Re: Many packages missing from testing
Scott <angrykeyboarder@angrykeyboarder.com> writes:
> Mitch Wiedemann wrote:
> > Joona Kiiski wrote:
> >
> >>Hi!
> >>
> >>Now for about two weeks there have been many packages out of testing.
> >>I'm must wondering what's the point? Those missing packages prevent me
> >>from upgrading because there are many among those which I desperatily
> >>need and I don't want to start hacking apt. Wouldn't it be better to
> >>have an unstable version of packages in testing than no version at all!
> >>
> >>Okay, you are pros, I'm just a newbie and there must be a good reason
> >>for this, this situation is just irritating. Maybe you could consider
> >>having four versions
> >>of debian in transition phase, like: stable, testing, testing-new,
> >>unstable. And when 99.5% packages would have entered testing-new it
> >>could replace testing. Just an idea, maybe it would just make things
> >>too complicated for developers and maintainers.
> >>
> > Check out this thread. Some perspectives on the missing packages in
> > testing...
> > http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2005/11/msg00683.html
> >
>
> Ah-ha! I'm glad to see it's a temporary problem. I just installed
> Debian for the first time this past week and had planned to stick with
> etch, but wound up with Sid becaue of all the missing packages.
All this is IMHO. Warning rant ahead:
1) testing not for users. It is for debian maintainers putting the
next stable release together.
There is a mechanical aging process which lets packages come over
from sid. A package could get updated, wait, and just when it's
about to land in testing, it gets some new minor update. The
package may work great the whole time, but it doesn't gets into
testing for a long time. When sid is revving heavily, you might
never get an update since some dependency somewhere is getting an
update. I think that security is now doing updates for testing.
They used to not do it and under that case testing was positively
foolhardy.
While it is usually solid, a breakage in testing can sometimes take
ages to get fixed. This is the nature of testing. There is no
manual override of the aging process.
2) Use "sarge" or "sid" instead. Sarge is stable and everything works
and is included. Right now, it's not even superannuated. Sid gets
quick updates. It might be broke once in a while, but it isn't
broke for long. (Of course it might really blow up and clobber
your system if, e.g., libc.so get hosed.)
3) Do not use "stable" in your apt sources since that could surprise
you when we get a new stable. Stable releases are rare enough that
manually changing /etc/apt/sources.list is not a problem. Hence,
the fixed name is better.
3) If you want to use "testing", put "etch" into your apt sources. Of
course, I could be extra perverse and argue that if you are a user
who would be surprised you have no business running testing anyhow.
--
Johan KULLSTAM
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