[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: How to update Debian 11 source.list to testing?



On 2021-09-03 at 10:17, Roberto C. Sánchez wrote:

> On Fri, Sep 03, 2021 at 04:11:49PM +0200, Richard Forst wrote:
> 
>> I just installed Debian using netinstall image. I thought I install
>> testing version, but apparently it's Debian 11. So now my
>> source.list looks like below:
>> 
>>     deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bullseye main non-free contrib
>>     deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bullseye main non-free contrib
>> 
>>     deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security main contrib non-free
>>     deb-src http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security main contrib non-free
>> 
>>     deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bullseye-updates main contrib non-free
>>     deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bullseye-updates main contrib non-free
>> 
>> I want to switch to testing version. In the past I just change the 
>> keyword from e.g. bullseye to testing, and generally there is no
>> weird problem. But I read on the internet saying that the
>> source.list should not mix up with different version. For instance,
>> Debian 11 with testing. So I am wondering if there is a better way
>> to switch to testing? Or reinstalling is the only way to go?
> 
> If you change all instances of bullseye -> testing, then you are not 
> mixing. Go ahead with that, modulo the standard caveats associated
> with running testing. The problem would come if you tried to include
> both bullseye *and* testing sources in your sources.list. Then you
> might create very difficult to resolve problems.

Are you sure about that last part?

I have been running with (e.g.)

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stable main non-free contrib
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ testing main non-free contrib

for over a decade, and while there have been some problems, I think
they've been basically the same ones I'd have seen from running testing
alone; none of them have seemed terribly difficult to resolve, either.
(At least not by my standards, although I'll admit that I may not be the
best or most representative example.)

I don't particularly consider this mixing releases; it's more tracking
testing, while still keeping available any packages which were in stable
but have been removed from testing.

IMO, if you're going to track testing at all on a production computer
(as opposed to, well, for the purpose of actually *testing the upcoming
release*), it only makes sense to also include stable; there's too much
chance of an important package being (temporarily or permanently)
unavailable, otherwise.

-- 
   The Wanderer

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all
progress depends on the unreasonable man.         -- George Bernard Shaw

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: OpenPGP digital signature


Reply to: