Bug#216682: apt/preferences: need for pinning a given (set of) package per release
On Mon, Oct 20, 2003 at 05:48:22PM -0400, Matt Zimmerman wrote:
> I don't think I like this "general" vs. "specific" distinction. I'd rather
> say something like:
>
> Each stanza contains criteria used to match a set of packages and
> versions, and preferences that should be applied to those packages.
>
> Packages can be matched by name, or "*" can be used to match all packages.
>
> Versions can be matched [describe the methods]...
>
> The preferences which can be applied are [pins]...
>
> Does that make sense?
Hm, I'm not sure (should read the code ;), but there really seems to
be a distinction between those, since 'Package: *' causes the priority
to be assigned to the repository, as opposed to a set of packages.
> > - for a given package, only the last paragraph of the specific form is
> > read, all previous ones are ignored without notice. Because of this
> > the layout of "apt-cache policy" output seems strange, and this could
> > account for the above-mentionned "possible display-bug".
>
> Is this true? I haven't checked the code. It seems more likely that it
> simply overwrites existing data in those fields.
Possible - did not check either.
> > - FIXME: I did not experiment yet with equivalent combinations of the
> > general forms
>
> What do you mean?
That I still have to make the experiment of using several "general
form" stanzas applying to a given source and check what it does
exactly.
> > - FIXME: given independant scores for the general and specific forms, I
> > suppose the candidate version is the one which has the best eligible score
> > in either slot ?
>
> I'd have to look over the code to find out which match wins, if there is a
> general rule. The old man page said this:
>
> Each package may be pinned to a specific version and each Pack-
> ages file has a priority for every package inside. The highest
> priority assigned to a package is the one that is used.
That seems coherent.
> > - There are 3 ways of selecting (pinning) the (range of) versions a
> > paragraph refers to: by release, by version, and by origin. A
> > paragraph of the general form can only use a "release" Pin, whereas a
> > paragraph of the specific form can use any Pin form.
>
> Pins for a specific package can use version, release or origin. Wildcard pins
> ("general form") can use release or origin (obviously an individual package
> version doesn't make sense).
I'll have to re-check for the "general form" and origin, but I'm
pretty sure it didn't work in my test.
Regards,
--
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