Re: combining stable and testing in sources.list
On Wed, Jun 13, 2018 at 02:01:42PM +0200, Hans wrote:
> I am using debian/testing now for years, but my kind of doing so, was just to
> use the entry for the stable repo plus the entry for testing repo
> in /etc/apt/sources.list. What is the advantage of doing your way?
If you are running testing, but occasionally need something from the
stable release, then this is fine.
Analogously, if you are running stable, but occasionally need something
from oldstable, adding a deb line from the previous release is usually
fine.
What is NOT fine is trying to do the reverse -- running stable but
desiring a package from a NEWER branch. Bringing in a package that
is compiled for testing or unstable will also bring in all of the
testing/unstable libraries that the package depends on and is linked
against, and will make a complete mess of everything.
We call that resulting mess a Frankendebian.
Use backports instead. That's what they're for. Backports are compiled
and linked using the stable libraries, so they don't bring in newer
libraries and break everything.
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