LinuxQuestions.org - k3b unable to unlock drive error in debian stable

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ok i understand what your saying but how would i make it so it would not default to just use the stable sources? Would i just comment out the stable sources in the source.list file or is there some more correct way? My desktop is Gnome, not KDE, i just use k3b because so far it's the cd burner for linux i like the best. thanks for your help so far.

the default release setting is in /etc/apt/apt.conf, just edit it to 'unstable'.

To upgrade everything to unstable you set this setting to unstable the do 'apt-get upgrade' or 'apt-get dist-upgrade'.

A couple of caveats:

first, it will upgrade everything on your system; this can be a long download. Fortunately, if the d/l is stopped in progress, it will start up again where it left off. If it finishes but reports "unable to download some packages", just re-run the upgrade command until it gets everything it needs.

second, it can cause problems and sometimes break things. Sometimes, for instance, apt may need to overwrite a file it can't find or may be unable to overwrite it for some other reason and will just report an error and refuse to continue. If this happens apt will not work at all until the error is corrected. For this reason it is sometimes safer just to upgrade the packages you want to upgrade with 'apt-get -t unstable install'. You can leave off the '-t unstable' if you set the default to unstable.

If you are not using kde you would just 'apt-get -t unstable k3b' because you probably don't have kdebase installed.

i don't have a /etc/apt/apt.conf file. there is a file there call "apt-file.conf" is that the one i'd have to use? If so i don't see any mention of stable or unstable in there. Here is the contest of that file.

Code:

# Apt-file configuration file



# Substitutions are made as follow:

#      host => remote hostname

#      port => port

#      uri => complete URI from sources.list

#      path => path from /

#      dist => the distrib name

#      comp => the component name

#      cache => path to the cache dir

#      dest => the destination file name

#      cdrom => cdrom mount point



# Where are located Packages (relative to <comp> directory)

destination = <host>_<path>_dists_<dist>_Contents-<arch>.gz



# Fetch methods

http = wget -N -P "<cache>" -O "<cache>/<dest>" "<uri>/dists/<dist>/Contents-<arch>.gz" || rm -f "<cache>/<dest>";

ftp = wget -N --passive-ftp -P "<cache>" -O "<cache>/<dest>" "<uri>/dists/<dist>/Contents-<arch>.gz" || rm -f "<cache>/<dest>"

ssh = scp -l <user> -P <port|22> "<host>:/<path>/dists/<dist>/Contents-<arch>.gz" "<cache>/<dest>"

rsh = rcp -l <user> "<host>:/<path>/dists/<dist>/Contents-<arch>.gz" "<cache>/<dest>"

file = cp "/<path>/dists/<dist>/Contents-<arch>.gz" "<cache>/<dest>"

copy = cp "/<path>/dists/<dist>/Contents-<arch>.gz" "<cache>/<dest>"

cdrom = echo "Put CDROM labeled <path> in the cdrom device" > /dev/stderr ; read ; mount "<cdrom>"; cp "<cdrom>/dists/<dist>/Contents-<arch>.gz" "<cache>/<dest>"; umount "<cdrom>"

there is also an /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/ directory with a 70debconf file in there. Is that the one i'd use? Im guessing by the directory name and format of the file that that is for init? Or do i have to create a apt.conf file? thanls for your help so far.

Hmmm. Checking & I see my new Debian install that I'm working on doesn't have an /etc/apt/apt.conf file either but my old system does. Perhaps the latest apt no longer uses it.
See if 'man apt-get' gives any indication.

For now just use the '-t unstable' command. Once you have upgraded an application to unstable apt will keep it as the unstable version. Apt will not downgrade an application without asking for confirmation.
I will check also.

i did some hunting in the man pages and i think if i create a apt.config file and add this line:

Code:

APT::Default-Release "unstable";

that it will upgrade to unstable when i do apt-get upgrade. i was hoping to find a way to generate a default apt.conf file. i also looked in the preferences of synaptic and there is a dialog box that you can set it from 1. prefer highest version 2. prefer installed version or 3. prefer stable/unstable. and i read the page for apt_preferences and you can create a preference file to really fine tune how apt decides to install what versions and from where. Now im a little neverous to try it but i suppose if things don't go well i could always downgrade back to stable.

Should have posted this earlier:
Here is the apt.conf file from my old system:

Code:

APT::Default-Release "unstable";

APT::Cache-Limit 10000000;

Apt::Get::Purge;

According the manpages (man apt_preference I think), this setting appears to be supposed to be in a 'preferences' file but the manpage isn'tclear on this.