apt_preferences: avoiding Etch [solved]
I want to set up my apt/preferences so that I don't get Etch. However, I
do want to be able to see what is in Etch in aptitude. So far, this has
worked to keep Etch packages off my Sarge system:
------/etc/apt/preferences-------
Package: *
Pin: release a=stable
Pin-Priority: -1
---------------------------------
However, my Sarge CDROMs are also excluded by this rule because Sarge
was stable when I got them. After reading "man apt_preferences," I got
the idea that I could exclude packages from release 4.0 like so:
-----/etc/apt/preferences--------
Package: *
Pin: release 4.0
Pin-Priority: -1
---------------------------------
But this is wrong because the release version "number" is actually
treated as text. I checked my copies of the Release files in
/var/lib/apt/lists/, and the version for the Etch release is specified
as 4.0r0.
So I have to do this to pin it right:
-----/etc/apt/preferences--------
Package: *
Pin: release 4.0r0
Pin-Priority: -1
---------------------------------
And to guard against Etch point releases, I can change it to this:
-----/etc/apt/preferences--------
Package: *
Pin: release 4.0*
Pin-Priority: -1
---------------------------------
IOW, the problem is solved; I'm just giving people a heads up.
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