* doc/apt-key.8.xml:

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

diff --git a/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml b/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
index 3d7896226642b197ab12d646aac4f3e0c61ea2c6..1f953029eb521469677353925321c55813b54d80 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
+++ b/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no"?>
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no"?>

-<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.2//EN"
-  "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbookx.dtd" [
+<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
+  "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [

 
 <!ENTITY % aptent SYSTEM "apt.ent">
 %aptent;
 
 
 <!ENTITY % aptent SYSTEM "apt.ent">
 %aptent;
 

+<!ENTITY % aptverbatiment SYSTEM "apt-verbatim.ent">
+%aptverbatiment;
+

 ]>
 
 <refentry>
 ]>
 
 <refentry>


@@ -14,7 +17,7 @@
    &apt-email;
    &apt-product;
    <!-- The last update date -->
    &apt-email;
    &apt-product;
    <!-- The last update date -->

-   <date>16 February 2010</date>
+   <date>2010-02-16T00:00:00Z</date>

  </refentryinfo>
 
  <refmeta>
  </refentryinfo>
 
  <refmeta>


@@ -59,14 +62,19 @@ APT will not questioning the preferences so wrong settings will therefore
 lead to uninstallable packages or wrong decisions while upgrading packages.
 Even more problems will arise if multiply distribution releases are mixed
 without a good understanding of the following paragraphs.
 lead to uninstallable packages or wrong decisions while upgrading packages.
 Even more problems will arise if multiply distribution releases are mixed
 without a good understanding of the following paragraphs.

+Packages included in a specific release aren't tested in and
+therefore doesn't always work as expected in older or newer releases or
+together with other packages from different releases.

 You have been warned.</para>
 
 <para>Note that the files in the <filename>/etc/apt/preferences.d</filename>
 directory are parsed in alphanumeric ascending order and need to obey the
 You have been warned.</para>
 
 <para>Note that the files in the <filename>/etc/apt/preferences.d</filename>
 directory are parsed in alphanumeric ascending order and need to obey the

-following naming convention: The files have no or "<literal>pref</literal>"
-as filename extension and which only contain alphanumeric,  hyphen (-),
-underscore (_) and period (.) characters - otherwise they will be silently
-ignored.</para>
+following naming convention: The files have either no or "<literal>pref</literal>"
+as filename extension and only contain alphanumeric, hyphen (-),
+underscore (_) and period (.) characters.
+Otherwise APT will print a notice that it has ignored a file if the file
+doesn't match a pattern in the <literal>Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently</literal>
+configuration list - in this case it will be silently ignored.</para>

 
 <refsect2><title>APT's Default Priority Assignments</title>
 
 
 <refsect2><title>APT's Default Priority Assignments</title>
 


@@ -94,9 +102,19 @@ APT::Default-Release "stable";
 algorithm to set the priorities of the versions of a package.  Assign:
 
 <variablelist>
 algorithm to set the priorities of the versions of a package.  Assign:
 
 <variablelist>

+<varlistentry>
+<term>priority 1</term>
+<listitem><simpara>to the versions coming from archives which in their <filename>Release</filename>
+files are marked as "NotAutomatic: yes" but <emphasis>not</emphasis> as "ButAutomaticUpgrades: yes"
+like the debian <literal>experimental</literal> archive.</simpara></listitem>
+</varlistentry>
+

 <varlistentry>
 <term>priority 100</term>
 <varlistentry>
 <term>priority 100</term>

-<listitem><simpara>to the version that is already installed (if any).</simpara></listitem>
+<listitem><simpara>to the version that is already installed (if any) and to the versions coming
+from archives which in their <filename>Release</filename> files are marked as "NotAutomatic: yes" and
+"ButAutomaticUpgrades: yes" like the debian backports archive since <literal>squeeze-backports</literal>.
+</simpara></listitem>

 </varlistentry>
 
 <varlistentry>
 </varlistentry>
 
 <varlistentry>


@@ -113,7 +131,10 @@ algorithm to set the priorities of the versions of a package.  Assign:
 
 <para>If the target release has not been specified then APT simply assigns
 priority 100 to all installed package versions and priority 500 to all
 
 <para>If the target release has not been specified then APT simply assigns
 priority 100 to all installed package versions and priority 500 to all

-uninstalled package versions.</para>
+uninstalled package versions, except versions coming from archives which
+in their <filename>Release</filename> files are marked as "NotAutomatic: yes" -
+these versions get the priority 1 or priority 100 if it is additionally marked
+as "ButAutomaticUpgrades: yes".</para>

 
 <para>APT then applies the following rules, listed in order of precedence,
 to determine which version of a package to install.
 
 <para>APT then applies the following rules, listed in order of precedence,
 to determine which version of a package to install.


@@ -192,8 +213,15 @@ Pin: origin ""
 Pin-Priority: 999
 </programlisting>
 
 Pin-Priority: 999
 </programlisting>
 

-<simpara>A note of caution: the keyword used here is "<literal>origin</literal>".
-This should not be confused with the Origin of a distribution as
+<simpara>A note of caution: the keyword used here is "<literal>origin</literal>"
+which can be used to match a hostname. The following record will assign a high priority
+to all versions available from the server identified by the hostname "ftp.de.debian.org"</simpara>
+<programlisting>
+Package: *
+Pin: origin "ftp.de.debian.org"
+Pin-Priority: 999
+</programlisting>
+<simpara>This should <emphasis>not</emphasis> be confused with the Origin of a distribution as

 specified in a <filename>Release</filename> file.  What follows the "Origin:" tag
 in a <filename>Release</filename> file is not an Internet address
 but an author or vendor name, such as "Debian" or "Ximian".</simpara>
 specified in a <filename>Release</filename> file.  What follows the "Origin:" tag
 in a <filename>Release</filename> file is not an Internet address
 but an author or vendor name, such as "Debian" or "Ximian".</simpara>


@@ -208,11 +236,11 @@ Pin-Priority: 50
 </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

-belonging to any distribution whose Codename is "<literal>squeeze</literal>".</simpara>
+belonging to any distribution whose Codename is "<literal>&testing-codename;</literal>".</simpara>

 
 <programlisting>
 Package: *
 
 <programlisting>
 Package: *

-Pin: release n=squeeze
+Pin: release n=&testing-codename;

 Pin-Priority: 900
 </programlisting>
 
 Pin-Priority: 900
 </programlisting>
 


@@ -231,6 +259,50 @@ Pin-Priority: 500
 
 </refsect2>
 
 
 </refsect2>
 

+<refsect2><title>Regular expressions and glob() syntax</title>
+<para>
+APT also supports pinning by glob() expressions and regular
+expressions surrounded by /. For example, the following
+example assigns the priority 500 to all packages from
+experimental where the name starts with gnome (as a glob()-like
+expression) or contains the word kde (as a POSIX extended regular
+expression surrounded by slashes).
+</para>
+
+<programlisting>
+Package: gnome* /kde/
+Pin: release n=experimental
+Pin-Priority: 500
+</programlisting>
+
+<para>
+The rule for those expressions is that they can occur anywhere
+where a string can occur. Thus, the following pin assigns the
+priority 990 to all packages from a release starting with karmic.
+</para>
+
+<programlisting>
+Package: *
+Pin: release n=karmic*
+Pin-Priority: 990
+</programlisting>
+
+<para>
+If a regular expression occurs in a <literal>Package</literal> field,
+the behavior is the same as if this regular expression were replaced
+with a list of all package names it matches. It is undecided whether
+this will change in the future, thus you should always list wild-card
+pins first, so later specific pins override it.
+
+The pattern "<literal>*</literal>" in a Package field is not considered
+a glob() expression in itself.
+</para>
+</refsect2>
+
+
+
+
+

 <refsect2>
 <title>How APT Interprets Priorities</title>
 
 <refsect2>
 <title>How APT Interprets Priorities</title>
 


@@ -345,7 +417,7 @@ APT priorities:
 <para>The <filename>Release</filename> file is normally found in the directory
 <filename>.../dists/<replaceable>dist-name</replaceable></filename>:
 for example, <filename>.../dists/stable/Release</filename>,
 <para>The <filename>Release</filename> file is normally found in the directory
 <filename>.../dists/<replaceable>dist-name</replaceable></filename>:
 for example, <filename>.../dists/stable/Release</filename>,

-or <filename>.../dists/woody/Release</filename>.
+or <filename>.../dists/&stable-codename;/Release</filename>.

 It consists of a single multi-line record which applies to <emphasis>all</emphasis> of
 the packages in the directory tree below its parent.  Unlike the
 <filename>Packages</filename> file, nearly all of the lines in a <filename>Release</filename>
 It consists of a single multi-line record which applies to <emphasis>all</emphasis> of
 the packages in the directory tree below its parent.  Unlike the
 <filename>Packages</filename> file, nearly all of the lines in a <filename>Release</filename>


@@ -373,14 +445,14 @@ Pin: release a=stable
 <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
 <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"
+"Codename: &testing-codename;"

 specifies that all of the packages in the directory
 tree below the parent of the <filename>Release</filename> file belong to a version named
 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
+<literal>&testing-codename;</literal>.  Specifying this value in the APT preferences file

 would require the line:
 </simpara>
 <programlisting>
 would require the line:
 </simpara>
 <programlisting>

-Pin: release n=squeeze
+Pin: release n=&testing-codename;

 </programlisting>
 </listitem>
 </varlistentry>
 </programlisting>
 </listitem>
 </varlistentry>


@@ -388,7 +460,7 @@ Pin: release n=squeeze
 <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

-packages in the tree might belong to Debian GNU/Linux release
+packages in the tree might belong to Debian release

 version 3.0.  Note that there is normally no version number for the
 <literal>testing</literal> and <literal>unstable</literal> distributions because they
 have not been released yet.  Specifying this in the APT preferences
 version 3.0.  Note that there is normally no version number for the
 <literal>testing</literal> and <literal>unstable</literal> distributions because they
 have not been released yet.  Specifying this in the APT preferences


@@ -466,10 +538,6 @@ distribution.</para>
 <para>Each record in the APT preferences file can optionally begin with
 one or more lines beginning with the word <literal>Explanation:</literal>.
 This provides a place for comments.</para>
 <para>Each record in the APT preferences file can optionally begin with
 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
-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>
 
 </refsect2>
 </refsect1>
 


@@ -584,14 +652,14 @@ the example configurations above.
 
 <programlisting>
 Explanation: Uninstall or do not install any Debian-originated package versions
 
 <programlisting>
 Explanation: Uninstall or do not install any Debian-originated package versions

-Explanation: other than those in the distribution codenamed with squeeze or sid
+Explanation: other than those in the distribution codenamed with &testing-codename; or sid

 Package: *
 Package: *

-Pin: release n=squeeze
+Pin: release n=&testing-codename;

 Pin-Priority: 900
 
 Explanation: Debian unstable is always codenamed with sid
 Package: *
 Pin-Priority: 900
 
 Explanation: Debian unstable is always codenamed with sid
 Package: *

-Pin: release a=sid
+Pin: release n=sid

 Pin-Priority: 800
 
 Package: *
 Pin-Priority: 800
 
 Package: *


@@ -602,7 +670,7 @@ Pin-Priority: -10
 
 <para>With a suitable &sources-list; file and the above preferences file,
 any of the following commands will cause APT to upgrade to the
 
 <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>.
+latest version(s) in the release codenamed with <literal>&testing-codename;</literal>.

 
 <programlisting>
 apt-get install <replaceable>package-name</replaceable>
 
 <programlisting>
 apt-get install <replaceable>package-name</replaceable>


@@ -614,7 +682,7 @@ apt-get dist-upgrade
 <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
 <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
+the package to the most recent <literal>&testing-codename;</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.
 more recent than the installed version, otherwise, to the most recent
 <literal>sid</literal> version if that is more recent than the installed
 version.