When you needed newer software than Sid/Backports provide...

[Akira Kitada <akitada@gmail.com>]

Hi list,
I use Lenny for my workstation, where I try new cutting-edge software.
I picked Lenny over Squeeze or Sid because of the following reasons.
- The stability. The machine is accessed from the internet
- Squeeze and Sid moves so quickly and breaks things frequently
- Even Sid isn't always new enough for everything I need.

My solution for this is easy and typical. Building from source and put
it on /usr/local.
That way, I can keep stable system while using the latest software.
However, it didn't take so long to make /usr/local a mess.
There's no easy way to track what I've installed because they're
installed manually.
It'd be nice if I could manage those software with apt but I suppose
that might conflicts with ones Lenny provides.

So here's my question. How can you manage new softwares while keeping
the system stable?
Using packages from backports.org or Sid? Do you build .deb packages yourself?
Can you keep the Lenny's intact?

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance