Bug#544481: Bug#557209: Bug#544481: apticron: apt-get dist-upgrade pulling required packages from unstable
2010/4/29 Matt Taggart <taggart@debian.org>:
> 2) diffutils - This didn't exist as a binary package in stable, so there is
> nothing to install and put on hold.
You can put a hold even on a not installed package, so you can use a hold
also to prevent the installation of the package, not only the upgrade of the
package. (Just make sure to release the holds before the next stable
upgrade as it will have "funny" effects otherwise…)
> On #debian-backports we discussed the
> idea of backporting the testing version with "Essential: yes" removed (and
> converted to the old source format so it will work with backports). I might
> do that soon.
I guess this will be difficult. In unstable diff is a transition package and
diffutils contain the "diff" functionality. In stable diffutils
doesn't exist and
diff has the "diff" functionality.
Unstable diff pre-depends on diffutils.
If you now add something to backport you either need to forward the
transition (= upload diff and diffutils) or upload diffutils as a dummy
package -- but this will break the pre-depends for upgraders later on
as the unstable diff (dummy) can be unpacked before the diffutils package
from unstable is unpacked (and configured) as a package with
this name is already installed and satisfy this dependency, but it
is also a dummy package, so you have created a timeframe in
which no package provides the diff functionality…
The solution is a versioned pre-depends, but i am not sure if this
is worthed the hassle…
Best regards,
David Kalnischkies
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