debian "emulator" / stable <--> old-stable
 

with at least one of the puppy-linux distributions,
it is possible to use packages from -any- debian
release... if it is a *.deb file, it runs.

Now Im wondering if there is an "emulator" package
for an actual debian install... for instance, Im
running "Lenny" - their current stable release...
but I'd like to use packages from "Etch" or from
"Sid".

Any debian users know if this can be done.. if there
is some kind of compatibility package for different
debians ?

thanks

Hi

I'm far from an expert on this subject, but I'll give it a go :)

For installing packages of other Debian distribution releases, there shouldn't be too many problems with using apt-get. I frequently upgrade Lenny with packages from Sid without significant issues, this simply involves adding the repository lines from Sid to the /etc/apt/sources.list file and then doing an update. From there, you can just use apt-get install.

The same will likely apply to Etch, although you may have some dependency issues which will prevent the installation of some packages you want. You do however have the option of installing a real virtualisation application (KVM, Qemu, OpenVZ etc) and then installing an older version of Debian inside them. That should allow you to use some of the older applications you want, at the cost of some time and fiddling. This is something I'm thinking of doing myself, as there are a couple of older apps I want that are no longer supported and easily installed.

Hope this helps anyway :)

Cotun

This is not good practice.
Lenny is Debian's Stable branch,and should not have packages mixed in from Testing or Unstable.
If you haven't already,then you will break your system at some point.

Opinions are varied on this point... some debian people say this
causes a working install to break. Nonetheless, I have done it
in the past, and may try it again.
I thought there might be some package meant specifically to handle
this multi-releases issue. Thanks for replying

NOTES: as I finished reply, a 2nd post here, in agreement
with this "breaking install" problem

Not that i've heard of,although with 25,000 plus packages in the repositories that's no guarantee.
Have searched on the Debian site?:

http://www.uk.debian.org/distrib/packages

If you're interested in running a mixed Debian system the right way here's a great how-to:

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=15612

You may have to hack it or install another debian version in a VM.

Okay, perhaps I should clarify this statement.

I frequently install Lenny, and then add Sid repository lines and install packages without upgrading the whole system to Sid. Then I just let the situation evolve naturally, meaning I have Lenny, Squeeze and Sid packages on a given system installed together. I also sometimes install Lenny packages on my hybrid system if there is no newer version available.

However, I never install a Sid package and then remove the Sid repositories and continue with a full Lenny system. I don't know if this new scenario would cause additional issues; I guess it's possible.

Using my approach, I have never broken a Debian system ever and I've been using it for five years. Sometimes you do run into difficult situations with apt, but it's never been something I couldn't resolve fairly easily and I'm no Linux expert. A quick Google search normally fixes all issues.

If you want to run Sid packages on your Lenny box, I wouldn't worry at all about adding Squeeze and Sid repositories and then installing the new packages. It may make more sense to use a virtual machine for Etch packages though, as you may have dependency issues. Without doubt, using a VM for all is the safest approach, but comes with a performance, time and effort penalty that I personally wouldn't want to pay in this case :)

This is all based on the assumption that this is a desktop machine. I wouldn't want to mix packages on a server at all and I would definitely go the VM route :)

Well,that just makes me shudder.........but hey,it's your machine not mine ;)

Well you must be very lucky.

I'm sure.

Absolutely,Stable only for a server.

You don't need to add any repositories. Just manually download and install the Etch .deb you need. So long as all dependencies can be satisfied, you should be okay.

I don't expect any problems for the next five years. I honestly think you are overstating the problem :)

Ok,look at it a different way.
Debian go to great lengths to make the Stable branch rock solid.
When you start adding packages from outside of the Stable repositories,you are no longer running Stable.
In effect you are saying "i know better than the Debian developers".
I know for a fact i don't know better,do you?.
Also i have seen people post here who have mixed their apt sources in Stable,either deliberately or by accident.
And yes,they completely borked their system.
As i said earlier,its your machine.I'm not telling you what to do.
I'm just sharing some first hand experiences.Take it however you will.:hattip:

We seem to be discussing a mixed debian system, is that not what careful pinning is for? But besides, etch is older than lenny so many packages have been updated with the newer releases. If they have been dropped from the release then it is fair to say that there is a good reason.

Lots of newer package versions are available via backports www.backports.org, which significantly reduces the chance of taking out the whole system.

Yes,you can do it that way.I prefer the method shown in the how-to i linked to earlier in this thread.
However,Cotun and myself seem to have differing opinions regarding the Stable branch.

And without some kind of 'pinning' or 'holding' packages from Etch would be upgraded the next time you did an update anyway.

Absolutely.
Backports is another good option.

Hey, sorry for the late reply.

I must admit that I don't really understand this argument at all. I'm not saying that I know more than the Debian developers. I'm merely saying that I run my system with a hybrid of Sid, Squeeze and Lenny packages, which best suits my interests of reliability and being able to run bleeding-edge software. I'm also saying that I haven't had too many problems doing this in five years, and I don't expect many more issues in the next five. That's about all :)

I understand that and I respect your views on the subject. In fact, I was just doing the same as you, sharing my first hand experiences on the issue. It's evident that the part we don't agree on is the risk of running a hybrid system :)

Pinning is definitely the official way to do this. But it takes time to put this together and it's something I never bothered with. But it would be essential for running Etch packages (which I only do if there is no newer version) as apt would automatically upgrade it to the newer version as Trooper stated.

Almost.
The point we disagree on is mixing packages from Testing/Unstable into the Stable branch,not running a mixed system.
I run a mixed system myself,a system based on Testing with the occasional package from Unstable.
And i accept the ramifications of doing so.

I would not do this this with a system running Stable/Lenny,this is where we differ.
So let's just agree to disagree.:)