Backport rred patches from my own sid branch to the 0.7.25 branch

[apt.git] / doc / apt_preferences.5.xml

diff --git a/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml b/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
index ab0107d36d9a77268e37169d544d4d29c92717a1..159d61f2b2402561836f2eefb3e7d623daaac6bf 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
+++ b/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
    &apt-email;
    &apt-product;
    <!-- The last update date -->
    &apt-email;
    &apt-product;
    <!-- The last update date -->

-   <date>29 February 2004</date>
+   <date>04 May 2009</date>

  </refentryinfo>
 
  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>apt_preferences</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
  </refentryinfo>
 
  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>apt_preferences</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>5</manvolnum>

+   <refmiscinfo class="manual">APT</refmiscinfo>

  </refmeta>
 
  <!-- Man page title -->
  </refmeta>
 
  <!-- Man page title -->


@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@
 <refsect1>
 <title>Description</title>
 <para>The APT preferences file <filename>/etc/apt/preferences</filename>
 <refsect1>
 <title>Description</title>
 <para>The APT preferences file <filename>/etc/apt/preferences</filename>

-can be used to control which versions of packages will be selected
+and the fragment files in the <filename>/etc/apt/preferences.d/</filename>
+folder can be used to control which versions of packages will be selected

 for installation.</para>
 
 <para>Several versions of a package may be available for installation when
 for installation.</para>
 
 <para>Several versions of a package may be available for installation when


@@ -60,6 +62,9 @@ belongs.  It is possible to single out a distribution, "the target release",
 which receives a higher priority than other distributions do by default.
 The target release can be set on the <command>apt-get</command> command
 line or in the APT configuration file <filename>/etc/apt/apt.conf</filename>.
 which receives a higher priority than other distributions do by default.
 The target release can be set on the <command>apt-get</command> command
 line or in the APT configuration file <filename>/etc/apt/apt.conf</filename>.

+Note that this has precedence over any general priority you set in the
+<filename>/etc/apt/preferences</filename> file described later, but not
+over specifically pinned packages.

 For example,
 
 <programlisting>
 For example,
 
 <programlisting>


@@ -184,7 +189,16 @@ belonging to any distribution whose Archive name is "<literal>unstable</literal>
 <programlisting>
 Package: *
 Pin: release a=unstable
 <programlisting>
 Package: *
 Pin: release a=unstable

-Pin-Priority: 500
+Pin-Priority: 50
+</programlisting>
+
+<simpara>The following record assigns a high priority to all package versions
+belonging to any distribution whose Codename is "<literal>squeeze</literal>".</simpara>
+
+<programlisting>
+Package: *
+Pin: release n=squeeze
+Pin-Priority: 900

 </programlisting>
 
 <simpara>The following record assigns a high priority to all package versions
 </programlisting>
 
 <simpara>The following record assigns a high priority to all package versions


@@ -324,10 +338,11 @@ file are relevant for setting APT priorities:
 
 <variablelist>
 <varlistentry>
 
 <variablelist>
 <varlistentry>

-<term>the <literal>Archive:</literal> line</term>
+<term>the <literal>Archive:</literal> or <literal>Suite:</literal> line</term>

 <listitem><simpara>names the archive to which all the packages
 in the directory tree belong.  For example, the line
 <listitem><simpara>names the archive to which all the packages
 in the directory tree belong.  For example, the line

-"Archive: stable"
+"Archive: stable" or
+"Suite: stable"

 specifies that all of the packages in the directory
 tree below the parent of the <filename>Release</filename> file are in a
 <literal>stable</literal> archive.  Specifying this value in the APT preferences file
 specifies that all of the packages in the directory
 tree below the parent of the <filename>Release</filename> file are in a
 <literal>stable</literal> archive.  Specifying this value in the APT preferences file


@@ -339,6 +354,22 @@ Pin: release a=stable
 </listitem>
 </varlistentry>
 
 </listitem>
 </varlistentry>
 

+<varlistentry>
+<term>the <literal>Codename:</literal> line</term>
+<listitem><simpara>names the codename to which all the packages
+in the directory tree belong.  For example, the line
+"Codename: squeeze"
+specifies that all of the packages in the directory
+tree below the parent of the <filename>Release</filename> file belong to a version named
+<literal>squeeze</literal>.  Specifying this value in the APT preferences file
+would require the line:
+</simpara>
+<programlisting>
+Pin: release n=squeeze
+</programlisting>
+</listitem>
+</varlistentry>
+

 <varlistentry>
 <term>the <literal>Version:</literal> line</term>
 <listitem><simpara>names the release version.  For example, the
 <varlistentry>
 <term>the <literal>Version:</literal> line</term>
 <listitem><simpara>names the release version.  For example, the


@@ -422,7 +453,7 @@ one or more lines beginning with the word <literal>Explanation:</literal>.
 This provides a place for comments.</para>
 
 <para>The <literal>Pin-Priority:</literal> line in each APT preferences record is
 This provides a place for comments.</para>
 
 <para>The <literal>Pin-Priority:</literal> line in each APT preferences record is

-optional.  If omitted, APT assigs a priority of 1 less than the last value
+optional.  If omitted, APT assigns a priority of 1 less than the last value

 specified on a line beginning with <literal>Pin-Priority: release ...</literal>.</para>
 </refsect2>
 </refsect1>
 specified on a line beginning with <literal>Pin-Priority: release ...</literal>.</para>
 </refsect2>
 </refsect1>


@@ -519,10 +550,74 @@ version.
 apt-get install <replaceable>package</replaceable>/unstable
 </programlisting>
 </para>
 apt-get install <replaceable>package</replaceable>/unstable
 </programlisting>
 </para>

+</refsect2>

 
 

+
+<refsect2>
+<title>Tracking the evolution of a codename release</title>
+
+<para>The following APT preferences file will cause APT to assign a
+priority higher than the default (500) to all package versions belonging
+to a specified codename of a distribution and a prohibitively low priority to
+package versions belonging to other <literal>Debian</literal> distributions,
+codenames and archives.
+Note that with this APT preference APT will follow the migration of a release
+from the archive <literal>testing</literal> to <literal>stable</literal> and
+later <literal>oldstable</literal>. If you want to follow for example the progress
+in <literal>testing</literal> notwithstanding the codename changes you should use
+the example configurations above.
+
+<programlisting>
+Explanation: Uninstall or do not install any Debian-originated package versions
+Explanation: other than those in the distribution codenamed with squeeze or sid
+Package: *
+Pin: release n=squeeze
+Pin-Priority: 900
+
+Explanation: Debian unstable is always codenamed with sid
+Package: *
+Pin: release a=sid
+Pin-Priority: 800
+
+Package: *
+Pin: release o=Debian
+Pin-Priority: -10
+</programlisting>
+</para>
+
+<para>With a suitable &sources-list; file and the above preferences file,
+any of the following commands will cause APT to upgrade to the
+latest version(s) in the release codenamed with <literal>squeeze</literal>.
+
+<programlisting>
+apt-get install <replaceable>package-name</replaceable>
+apt-get upgrade
+apt-get dist-upgrade
+</programlisting>
+</para>
+
+<para>The following command will cause APT to upgrade the specified
+package to the latest version from the <literal>sid</literal> distribution.
+Thereafter, <command>apt-get upgrade</command> will upgrade
+the package to the most recent <literal>squeeze</literal> version if that is
+more recent than the installed version, otherwise, to the most recent
+<literal>sid</literal> version if that is more recent than the installed
+version.
+
+<programlisting>
+apt-get install <replaceable>package</replaceable>/sid
+</programlisting>
+</para>

 </refsect2>
 </refsect1>
 
 </refsect2>
 </refsect1>
 

+<refsect1>
+<title>Files</title>
+  <variablelist>
+    &file-preferences;
+  </variablelist>
+</refsect1>
+

 <refsect1>
 <title>See Also</title>
 <para>&apt-get; &apt-cache; &apt-conf; &sources-list;
 <refsect1>
 <title>See Also</title>
 <para>&apt-get; &apt-cache; &apt-conf; &sources-list;


@@ -532,4 +627,3 @@ apt-get install <replaceable>package</replaceable>/unstable
  &manbugs;
 
 </refentry>
  &manbugs;
 
 </refentry>

-