Installing An Unstable Package in Lenny?

Carlwill · 12-17-2007, 07:41 PM

I was wondering if there is an official way or correct Debian way to obtain a package from the unstable repo and install it in Lenny assuming I don't have anything but Testing / Lenny repos in my /etc/apt/source.list?

If anyone can tell me the correct way to do so, please note below...

Thanks for any assistance!

farslayer · 12-18-2007, 08:49 AM

I would think adding the repos, and pinning them at the appropriate priorites..

http://jaqque.sbih.org/kplug/apt-pinning.html

then install specifying the repository to pull the package from.

apt-get install <package>/unstable

archtoad6 · 12-20-2007, 09:52 AM

Very interesting, thanks for the link.

If you use the:

Code:

apt-get -t unstable install <package>

method, how can it be rolled back if it somehow breaks your system?

Do you happen to know if it works w/ aptitude -- the syntax looks the same.

farslayer · 12-20-2007, 10:38 AM

I would think it would work pretty much the same with aptitude, can't see any reason it wouldn't..

Debian Reference section 6.2.6

Quote:

* aptitude install package/unstable

This installs package from the unstable distribution while installing its dependencies from the testing distribution.

* aptitude install -t unstable package

This installs package from the unstable distribution while installing its dependencies also from the unstable distribution by setting the Pin-Priority of unstable to 990.

I don't know how the rollback would work.. I haven't had to try that yet...

rickh · 12-20-2007, 10:41 AM

Rollback works fine with Aptitude, and IMO, pinning is not necessary in most cases. If you're going to run a mixed system, tho, You do need to identify a default release in /etc/apt/apt.conf

c2k011 · 01-22-2008, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickh

...and IMO, pinning is not necessary in most cases...

Is that because you can get unofficial .deb files or use alternative repositories?

Thanks
-c2k

rickh · 01-22-2008, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Is that because you can get unofficial .deb files or use alternative repositories?

I don't understand the question. Personally, the only unofficial repo I use is Multimedia.

This is my Howto related to running a mixed Lenny/Sid system.