question regarding apt-get updates

mrmnemo · 10-10-2010, 11:38 AM

I was just wondering what apt uses to determine which packages to hold back during an update. As it stands I have been seeing a kernel upgrade that keeps getting held back. Is there a log file which I can see why this going on?

snowday · 10-10-2010, 12:15 PM

'apt-get update' does not, in and of itself, upgrade any packages.

You need to follow it by 'apt-get dist-upgrade' to get the new kernels and so forth. (I am assuming you use Debian or Ubuntu, let me know if that is not the case.)

quanta · 10-10-2010, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmnemo

I was just wondering what apt uses to determine which packages to hold back during an update.

'hold' state.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmnemo

As it stands I have been seeing a kernel upgrade that keeps getting held back. Is there a log file which I can see why this going on?

You can check the state of a package with:

Code:

dpkg --get-selections package

Another way to exclude a package, try Wajig.

mrmnemo · 10-10-2010, 06:40 PM

Thanks for that.

One question though. Typically i receive kernel updates when I run apt-get upgrade. I will run dpkg and check whats going on.

Thanks again!!

mrmnemo · 10-10-2010, 08:36 PM

ok, so here is what i found:

Code:

Reading state information... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
  linux-generic linux-headers-generic linux-image-generic

and

Code:

dpkg --get-selections linux-generic
linux-generic                    install

How would I dig a little deeper to see why the packages are being held back?

quanta · 10-11-2010, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmnemo

and

Code:

dpkg --get-selections linux-generic
linux-generic                    install

How would I dig a little deeper to see why the packages are being held back?

Maybe someone put it into hold state. Have a look at: /var/log/apt/term.log, /var/log/dpkg.log, ...

mrmnemo · 10-11-2010, 10:12 PM

could not find out if " someone" placed in hold. However, I used --ignor-hold and have had no issues. Thanks again guys.

quanta · 10-12-2010, 12:23 AM

Or kernel is exclude by the default when updating. (I haven't got any Debian based systems to check).