Re: apt pinning to blacklist a package

[Rob Owens <rowens@ptd.net>]

On Thu, Jul 09, 2009 at 09:51:54AM +0300, Andrei Popescu wrote:
> [You wrote to me directly instead of the list. I'm putting it back, 
> untrimmed, because others could help]
> 
That was unintentional.  Thanks for forwarding it to the list.

> On Wed,08.Jul.09, 20:20:14, Rob Owens wrote:
> > On Wed, Jul 08, 2009 at 01:24:35PM +0300, Andrei Popescu wrote:
> > > On Tue,07.Jul.09, 21:38:57, Rob Owens wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > Since "fakerepo" is not a valid release, "somepackage" is never
> > > > installable.  I'm still not sure why my original scheme didn't work.
> > > 
> > > Sounds kind of hackish. When you have troubles with pinning the output 
> > > of 'apt-cache policy <package>' helps a lot.
> > > 
> > I agree, it does seem kind of hackish.
> > 
> > 
> > /etc/apt/preferences:
> > 
> > Package: libmono0
> > Pin: version *
> > Pin-Priority: -1
> > 
> > 
> > apt-cache policy libmono0
> > 
> > libmono0:
> >   Installed: (none)
> >   Candidate: 1.9.1+dfsg-6
> >   Package pin: 2.0.1-6
> >   Version table:
> >      2.0.1-6 -1
> >         500 http://ftp.us.debian.org squeeze/main Packages
> >      1.9.1+dfsg-6 -1
> >         990 http://ftp.us.debian.org lenny/main Packages
> > 
>  
> As you can see here, your pin doesn't work...
> 
> > apt-get install -s libmono0
> > 
> > Reading package lists... Done
> > Building dependency tree       
> > Reading state information... Done
> > The following NEW packages will be installed:
> >   libmono0
> > 0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
> > Inst libmono0 (1.9.1+dfsg-6 Debian:5.0.2/stable)
> > Conf libmono0 (1.9.1+dfsg-6 Debian:5.0.2/stable)
> > 
> > (and the same thing happens if I "apt-get install -s f-spot", only a lot
> > more packages get installed -- including libmono0)
> > 
> > -Rob
> 
> ... and apt-get confirms it. Looking through 'man apt_preferences' it 
> seems to me it's the 'Pin: Version *' entry. Try something like this:
> 
> Package: libmono0
> Pin: origin ""
> Pin-Priority: -1
> 
That doesn't work either.  libmono0 is still installable.

apt-cache policy libmono0

libmono0:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.9.1+dfsg-6
  Package pin: (not found)
  Version table:
     2.0.1-6 -1
        500 http://ftp.us.debian.org squeeze/main Packages
     1.9.1+dfsg-6 -1
        990 http://ftp.us.debian.org lenny/main Packages

-Rob