Hello,

I would like to know how you solve the problem of multiple repositories providing the same package.

For example, some packages available in Marillat unofficial repository are also available in official Debian repository.
When installing (using Synaptic for example), it is possible to "hide" temporarily some "sources", and then keep only Marillat packages.
Then it is easy to install the required packages.

Another example, if a developper is maintaining its own Debian repository, that I add in my apt source list.
If the package is also available in official Debian repository (And then, often older than the version in the Develpper's site):
How do you solve this problem ?

I would like to have multiple packages repositories in the same sources.list, and get rid of issues about packages provided by 2 or more repositories.
Do you know how to give, for example, priority to mplayer from Marillat, gnomemeeting from developper's home site, AND keep all sources declared in sources.list ?

thanks for your help

Fred

I'll try to give some pointers. Read the docs as well:

http://wiki.debian.net/index.cgi?AptPinning
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/ch-apt-get (!)
http://jaqque.sbih.org/kplug/apt-pinning.html
http://www.argon.org/~roderick/apt-pinning.html

Create an 'apt.conf' file in /etc/apt :

APT:efault-Release "[name preferred distro]";
(like sarge, sid or generic names like testing or unstable)

Create a 'preferences' file defining the priorities of packages by name and version:

Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 700

Package: *
Pin: release a=unstable
Pin-Priority: 30

Package: mplayer
Pin: version x.xx.xx
Pin-Priority: 800

Which would keep the Marillat version x.xx.xx of Mplayer, untill an official and newer Debian Sarge package would come along. Mplayer has a greater priority than testing here.

In this example any unstable packages will not be upgraded automatically since the priority is less then 100.

Experiment a bit and it should work. Apt pinning is a really nice system.

...replace the smiley with it's corresponding characters...sigh()

Hello,

thanks for your quick reply.
It is exactly what I was expecting !
What I am expecting is possible, you gave me enough to go further
It is perfect !

Many thanks
Fred