Re: apt pinning options?

[Justin Guerin <justin_guerin@yahoo.com>]

Scott wrote:

> I've decided I'd like to try pinning.
> 
> I read through apt_preferences(5) and the howtos on the web and I've
> still got a question.
> 
> In the following example. I got "Unofficial Multimedia Packages" from
> the release file (http://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/dists/sid/Release).
> 
> Package: *
> Pin: origin Unofficial Multimedia Packages
> Pin: release a=sid
> Pin-Priority: 500
> 
> However, a number of archives I have in my sources.list don't have a
> release file.  How else might I list them in my /etc/apt/preferences file?
> 
> For example,  one line from my sources.list is:
> 
> deb http://mirror.pusling.com/debian/unstable/ ./
> 
> How else can I reference an archive in /etc/apt/preferences with no
> release file?  I don't want to pin a specific app in such an archive, I
> just want to give the whole archive a lower priority.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
It seems you have three options.  First, you can pin based upon information
in the packages file.  Unfortunately, that would mean pinning based upon
the package name or version, which is not what you want.

Second, you could email the site and ask them to provide a release file.

Third, you could fake a release file.  The file from ftp.nerim.net, for
example, ends up
as /var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.nerim.net_debian-marillat_dists_sid_Release.  I'd
edit that file, rename it so it matches the mirror.pulsing.com archive, and
pin based upon that.  Note, however, that I haven't tested this method.

Hope that helps,
Justin