Re: apt pinning confusion

[Jaime Tarrant <jaime.tarrant@gmail.com>]

Alex Samad wrote:
> On Sun, May 11, 2008 at 11:08:38AM -0700, Todd A. Jacobs wrote:
> > Historically, I've always used APT::Default-Release to keep my system
> > sane with multiple repositories, but recently reinstalled a system
> > because it was getting very crufty. I'm trying to prevent a similar
> > recurrence, so I now have:
> >
> >     $ cat /etc/apt/apt.conf
> >     APT::Default-Release "testing";
> >     APT::Cache-Limit "25165824";
> >
> >     $ cat /etc/apt/preferences
> >     Package: *
> >     Pin: release o=Debian, a=testing
> >     Pin-Priority: 800
> >
> >     Package: *
> >     Pin: release o=Debian, a=unstable
> >     Pin-Priority: 700
> >
> >     Package: *
> >     Pin: release o=Debian, a=stable
> >     Pin-Priority: 600
> >
> >     Package: *
> >     Pin: release o=Debian, a=experimental
> >     Pin-Priority: 550
>
> your numbers seem very high my preferences is
> package: *                                                                                                                                
> pin: release a=unstable                                                                                                                   
> Pin-Priority: 100                                                                                                                         
>                                                                                                                                           
>                                                                                                                                           
> package: *                                                                                                                                
> pin: release a=experimental                                                                                                               
> Pin-Priority: 50                                                                                                                          
>
>
> > I also have some additional sources (e.g. security.debian.org) which I'm
> > assuming are handled properly by the apt defaults. My question is, have
> > I set things up properly to do what I'm expecting? 
> >
> > I'm particularly unclear on whether installing something out of unstable
> > starts tracking that package out of unstable, or whether it simply adds
> > the package until an equal or higher version is available in testing.
> >
> > Lastly, is pinning even really necessary here? How does that help me
> > over simply setting the default release? In practice, I haven't really
> > seen a difference yet.
> >
> > --
> > "Oh, look: rocks!"
> > 	-- Doctor Who, "Destiny of the Daleks"
> >
> >
> > --
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org 
> > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

The number range -1 thru 1000+ is perfectly acceptable. Excerpt from:

# man 5 apt_preferences

P > 1000
causes  an  instance  to be installed even if this constitutes a 
downgrade of the package

990 < P <=1000
causes an instance to be installed even if it does not come from
the target release, unless the installed instance is more recent

500 < P <=990
causes an instance to be installed unless there is  an  instance
available  belonging to the target release or the installed version is 
more recent

100 < P <=500
causes an instance to be installed unless there is  an  instance
available  belonging to some other distribution or the installed
version is more recent

0 <= P <=100
causes an instance to be installed only if there is no installed
instance of the package

P < 0  prevents the instance from being installed

-

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Jaime