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mike
Asked: 2009-07-09 10:26:14 +0800 CST

How do I tell apt to never upgrade a particular package?

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I prefer to install my own version of Firefox. How can I tell apt to never attempt to upgrade it, even if i type "apt-get update ; apt-get upgrade" later?

Edit: Okay, so dpkg -l firefox prints this:

ii  firefox   3.0.3+nobinonly-0ubuntu2   meta package for the popular mozilla web browser

So I added this to my prefs:

Package: firefox
Pin: version 3.*
Pin-Priority: 1000

But apt-get upgrade still prints:

The following packages have been kept back:
    (nothing related to firefox)
The following packages will be upgraded:
    (blah blah blah)
    firefox firefox-3.0 firefox-3.0-branding firefox-3.0-gnome-support 
    firefox-gnome-support
    (blah blah blah)

I also tried making the package "*firefox*", but that didn't work either.

linux apt

4 Answers

  1. To put a package to hold: 

    echo "package_name hold"|dpkg --set-selections

    To 'unhold' it:

    echo "package_name install"|dpkg --set-selecions

    To see what your packages on hold are, do an:

    dpkg --get-selections | grep hold
    • 6

  2. Add the following to /etc/apt/preferences

     Package: iceweasel 
 Pin: version 3.0.6*
 Pin-Priority: 1000
    • 5

  3. You need to pin the package. Put an entry like this in /etc/apt/preferences. You'll need to adjust the version number etc.

    Package: mozilla-firefox
Pin: version 1:3.5.*
Pin-Priority: 1000
    • 1

  4. Have a look at (the complex) section 3.10 of the apt how-to: http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/ch-apt-get.en.html. That may help.

    • 0