Change to Testing

mdg · 11-15-2003, 08:02 AM

I've just installed a very basic Debian stable. I don't even have X running properly yet. Thing is, I had no intention of staying with stable, I want to move to testing immediately.

The question is, do I need to first have a running , working X environment in Woody to move to Sarge, or can I do it now?

ToniT · 11-15-2003, 06:50 PM

You don't need X. To update your system you need just a configured network connection and the very base package management tools (the "required" packages). You allready have them if you have not done anything plain wrong in the installation.

Just

add your to your /etc/apt/sources.list lines:

Code:

deb ftp://ftp.fi.debian.org/debian/ testing main non-free contrib
deb-src ftp://ftp.fi.debian.org/debian/ testing main non-free contrib

(with "fi" replaced with your local/closest mirror)

Run
Code:
```
apt-get update
```
to get new package-lists. There might be a problem (with many sources and with old apt), that the cache gets full. So you might have to also add a line
Code:
```
APT::Cache-Limit 12582912;
```
to /etc/apt/apt.conf to override the (too small) default value.
Run
Code:
```
apt-get dist-upgrade
```
and follow the instructions on screen. That should be it.

A word of warning: the sarge is not ready yet; if you are planning to use that computer as a desktop machine there should be a problem, but I wouldn't put sarge as a server into a production environment just yet.