LinuxQuestions.org
Welcome to the most active Linux Forum on the web.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Distributions > Debian
User Name
Password
Debian This forum is for the discussion of Debian Linux.

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 02-08-2004, 02:48 AM   #1
Bd22
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Jun 2003
Distribution: Debian, Freebsd
Posts: 15

Rep: Reputation: 0
Going from testing to stable


I have a computer set up with the testing branch on it and eventually i may want to move it over to stable could i move it over when sarage freezes and moves to stable?
 
Old 02-08-2004, 08:09 AM   #2
dekket
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2003
Location: sweden
Distribution: debian
Posts: 47

Rep: Reputation: 15
Yes, you can.
Edit the /etc/apt/sources.list and enter "stable" instead of "testing" wherever it says just that. It depends on which mirrors you are using however, but trying wont hurt you. Otherwise, go to www.debian.org and get some new mirrors, with the stable packages.

The problem with going from testing to stable, is that the testing packages has a mroe recent version number, and might create broken packages, since some applications still require the testing packages, some dont. There is no foolproof fix to that as far as I know however. Good Luck.
 
Old 02-08-2004, 09:40 AM   #3
Strike
Member
 
Registered: Jun 2001
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Distribution: Debian
Posts: 569

Rep: Reputation: 31
Just editing your sources.lit to point to stable instead of testing will not cause future upgrades to install packages from stable over top of your current ones. Any available package to install that has the highest version number gets precedence (unless you use package pinning). And the "available package" lists include not only your sources.list. but your currently installed packages. So, since the testing packages will basically always have either the same version number as stable or a greater version number, you will remain at testing.

The "easiest" (meaning not reinstalling and getting all the packages again) way of doing it would be to use package pinning (Google for "apt pinning" or "apt pins") to give the packages in stable a higher precedence than the ones in testing, so that even though they have the lower version number, that higher precedence will force them to downgrade anyway.
 
Old 02-08-2004, 02:13 PM   #4
HappyTux
Senior Member
 
Registered: Mar 2003
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Distribution: Debian AMD64
Posts: 4,170

Rep: Reputation: 244Reputation: 244Reputation: 244
Re: Going from testing to stable

Quote:
Originally posted by Bd22
I have a computer set up with the testing branch on it and eventually i may want to move it over to stable could i move it over when sarage freezes and moves to stable?
When Sarge is released you will be running stable there will be no need to move it over as you say. The only thing you will have to look out for is in your /etc/apt/sources.list if you use testing in the lines instead of sarge for your sources for example you have this:
Code:
# Testing
deb http://ftp2.de.debian.org/debian/ testing main non-free contrib
deb http://nonus.debian.org/debian-non-US testing/non-US main contrib non-free
Instead of:
Code:
# Sarge
deb http://ftp2.de.debian.org/debian/ sarge main non-free contrib
deb http://nonus.debian.org/debian-non-US sarge/non-US main contrib non-free
Which right now are one and the same thing but if you have the first lines then you will continue to track the testing branch when Sarge becomes the new stable release. With the second lines once Sarge is released as stable then you continue to run Sarge and it is now the stable release.
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
How stable is testing (Etch)? audiorevolution Debian 5 06-18-2005 03:03 PM
testing -> stable martine Debian 3 05-18-2005 11:46 AM
When Stable comes out, how do I switch from testing?? r3dhatter Debian 1 11-15-2004 08:44 PM
stable --> testing? koyi Debian 5 09-05-2004 11:03 AM
stable to testing,.??? ikkuh Debian 2 09-07-2003 08:53 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Distributions > Debian

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:08 PM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration