Re: aptitude --mind-your-own-business option?

[Douglas Tutty <dtutty@porchlight.ca>]

On Sun, Dec 03, 2006 at 10:31:16AM -0800, Marc Shapiro wrote:
 
> Is there a way to get the interactive mode to act as an 'upgrade' and 
> not a 'dist-upgrade'?

Here's how I use aptitude for upgrades; perhaps this is why I haven't
run into the problems others have.  Having already gone through the list
of installed packages (when first installed aptitude under Woody) to
indicate Manual or Automatic install:

	hit 'u' (not 'U') to update the list of available packages.

	If there are any installed packages that have updates available,
	there's a section titled 'Updateabe packages'.  Remember, these
	are all packages who's earlier version is alread installed.

	Select this list of upgradeable packages.  

	hit 'g'

	Review what it wants to do.  If some of the new versions have
	different dependancies then these will be reflected in what it
	wants to do.  Note that I have aptitude configured to NOT
	install suggests or recommends.

	Review the list of suggested or recommended packages to see if
	there's anything there I want.

	Only when I'm happy with what it wants to do, do I hit 'g'
	again.

I never use the command line because I want total control over the
package management.  I also have to schedule telephone time and the
interactive mode gives me ETA and I can hit 'q' at any time to stop then
resume later.


It does sound like there's some inconsistancy between interactive and
command line and between root and su access.  I would call it them bugs and
submit them as such, perhaps referring to these threads.

Doug.