Okay, so I just installed Debian, about a week ago. Woody. So, I get into it, and realize (after checking gmail and being told my browser is an old piece of crap), everything is out of date. Even after running kpackage and updating/upgrading everything. I downloaded Firefox, and try to install it - there's ~20 libraries I need but don't have or they're old ones. So I download all of them. THEY depend on things that I don't have or they're outdated.

So my question is, is there any way to tell kpackage/apt-get to download the testing or unstable packages automatically, rather than me having to go through and get them all one by one?

Hi

If you still want to use woody you could add sarge(testing) to your apt-sources list

You will need to set a cache limit

cat>/etc/apt/apt.conf

apt::Cache-Limit "8388608";

^D

You can then add a preferences file /etc/apt/preferences this keeps your apt-get upgrades to woody

Package: *
Pin: release o=Debian,a=testing
Pin-Priority: 600

Package: *
Pin: release o=Debian,a=stable
Pin-Priority: 650

Then as root in console do

apt-get update

Then to install firefox from testing

apt-get -t testing install mozilla-firefox

Sls

This is a major issue I have with Debian Woody as well.

It does little good to try to get the required libraries, as you are thrown into dependency hell. It is this way when trying to get the latest/greatest software for any backrev distro., and if I were doing another install today, I'd install testing or unstable.

Debian views new software and updates to old software as unstable, because it hasn't stood the test of time, even though it may be quite stable. After a time, and that software has been run some, there is a measure of confidence in it, that it's relatively free of bugs, it is moved to Testing. The same process is repeted, and eventually, the Testing release is moved to Stable. Debian, at this time is getting ready to release Sid (testing) to stable. That was supposed to happen in September, and I anxiously await this!


Fortunately, Debian Backports has a collection of newer software compiled for Woody, and they are my savior!

This is also a good place for unofficial packages:
apt-get.org

Some of this info. may be slightly wrong in it's details, but the ideas, methods, and concepts are sound.

Hope this helps
jacks4u

I don't understand !
Why not to use Debian Sarge from very begining without going through painfull process of upgrading. I tested Sarge for about a week - stunning distro. All up to date

Thanks. I tried the "Packages: * Pin: etc" stuff, and then updating, it appears to still be updating only stable packages. Then when I install Firefox, it still pitches a fit about libraries it doesn't have. -_-

The Backports package had slightly fewer libraries it complained about.

*bounces head off of monitor, resists temptation to break out the XP cd*

Hi can you post your /etc/apt/sources.list

sls

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 Update CD 20041027: i386 CD 2]/ woody contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 Update CD 20041027: i386 CD 1]/ woody contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-7 (20041027)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main non-US/non-free non-free
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-6 (20041027)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main non-US/non-free non-free
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-5 (20041027)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main non-US/non-free non-free
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-4 (20041027)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main non-US/non-free non-free
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-3 (20041027)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main non-US/non-free non-free
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-2 (20041027)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main non-US/non-free non-free
deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0r3 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-1 (20041027)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main non-US/non-free non-free

deb ftp://mirror.direct.ca/pub/linux/debian/ stable main
deb-src ftp://mirror.direct.ca/pub/linux/debian/ stable main

deb ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/ stable main
deb-src ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/ stable main

deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main contrib non-free


Erm... looking at that, I'm guessing I need to add a few lines in at the bottom, substituting "testing" and "unstable" for stable...

Edit: Woo-hoo! It's downloading testing packages now!

Excellent