I have noticed a curious behavior in slackpkg for a while. I sometimes upgrade to a newer version of a standard Slackware package, without using slackpkg. When I next run slackpkg, it flags the older file versions to "upgrade" even though newer packages are installed. These newer packages were created and installed via the standard slackbuild-installpkg route, for example libgpod and hplip to support newer devices.

Otherwise, top notch tool.

Is there a way to fix this?

slackpk will gladly skip all the packages you list in /etc/slackpkg/blacklist. If you don't want slackpkg to update a particular package, just add it to /etc/slackpkg/blacklist.
Alternatively, you can do a "slackpkg blacklist {Pattern|File}" from the console.
"man slackpkg" is your best friend when it comes to using slackpkg.

Well...that doesn't quite answer my question, and is obvious. The packages I update to newer versions are part of the standard slackware package set - but slack's versions are OLDER. When slackpkg scans for *updates* should it not skip these newer packages? I don't want to blacklist them, in case a newer package pops up in /patches.

I tried to email the maintainer, but the email bounced back.

As long as you run `slackpkg update` before doing `slackpkg upgrade-all`, for example, *official* packages that were upgraded using pkgtools should be ignored as long as there isn't an update in patches/. I'd check your /etc/slackpkg/mirrors file and make sure to update the package lists before running `slackpkg upgrade-all` or similar. I upgrade glibc in runlevel 1 out of paranoia and use pkgtools instead of slackpkg for those sorts of packages, and slackpkg happily figures out that I have the latest version the next time I run `slackpkg upgrade-all`. There is no bug in 13.1 as far as I can see...

There is not a way to fix this. (It's really not broken )The reason being is that slackpkg only looks at the packages available in the Slackware mirror. If the currently available Slackware package is at a different version than what is installed on your PC, slackpkg will upgrade it. This is the way pkgtools in general works. Most of us think of upgrade as meaning an increase in version number. upgradepkg should be thought of and used as replace. I particularly like this feature!!!

Slackpkg's goal and purpose is to keep Slackware pristine and inline with Slackware provided packages.

And yes, I have the same issue. As I routinely run a handful of newer packages than stock Slackware. A small PITA to uncheck the packages. Or as stated above, blacklist them. If you do blacklist them, keep up with the changelog, that way when Slackware does update the package you'll be aware of it.

If you are not already, subscribe to the mailing list. This will notify you of security updates to stable releases. RSS feeds are available for current. slackpkg also has the check-updates option.
http://www.slackware.com/lists/

1 members found this post helpful.

This behaviour is a deliberate design decision. It allows for the reversion of a package to a previous version, which can and has happened. The ability to handle reversions should be considered when assessing alternative package managers.

1 members found this post helpful.

This is not a bug. Slackware's package management tools not distinguish "old" from "new". They only care about "different". This is by design.

Eric

Edit: allend was a bit faster :-)

1 members found this post helpful.

Never, ever faster! Just started a lot earlier :-)

good enough. Its not how I would've done it but I can see the reasoning. The "why does it do that" itch has been scratched. thanks, all.