Broke /etc/apt/preferences when trying to use just one package from unstable.
 

On Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 12:51:42 +0100, James Youngman (jay@gnu.org) wrote:

> I modified /etc/apt/{preferences,sources.list} to get just
> flashplugin-nonfree from unstable. That seemed to work.
> However, now I find that "apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev" results in
> this error:
>
> # apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree
> Reading state information... Done
> Package libsdl1.2-dev is not available, but is referred to by another package.
> This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
> is only available from another source
> E: Package libsdl1.2-dev has no installation candidate
>
> Could somebody take a look at my preferences and sources.list files
> and explain to me what I broke and how? I attach both files
> (/etc/apt/sources.list.d is empty).

To eliminate your /etc/apt/preferences file as the source of the
problem, how about temporarily renaming or removing it, then do an
aptitude update then try again?

The package you want is available in both testing and unstable:

bob@trantor:~$ apt-cache policy libsdl1.2-dev
libsdl1.2-dev:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: 1.2.13-2
Version table:
1.2.13-2 0
500 http://ftp.uk.debian.org lenny/main Packages
500 http://ftp.uk.debian.org sid/main Packages

(Having temporarily added sid to my sources file just to check).

--
Bob Cox. Stoke Gifford, near Bristol, UK.
Registered user #445000 with the Linux Counter - http://counter.li.org/


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

Broke /etc/apt/preferences when trying to use just one package from unstable.
 

On Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 12:51:42 +0100, James Youngman wrote:
> I modified /etc/apt/{preferences,sources.list} to get just
> flashplugin-nonfree from unstable. That seemed to work.
> However, now I find that "apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev" results in
> this error:
>
> # apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree
> Reading state information... Done
> Package libsdl1.2-dev is not available, but is referred to by another package.
> This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
> is only available from another source
> E: Package libsdl1.2-dev has no installation candidate
>
> Could somebody take a look at my preferences and sources.list files
> and explain to me what I broke and how? I attach both files
> (/etc/apt/sources.list.d is empty).

Your apt_preferences has multiple matches for certain repositories and
your last two rules put the priority of more or less everything to -1. I
am not surprised that apt starts to become weird.

Your goal can be achieved much simpler, with just one rule in
preferences:

Package: *
Pin: release a=unstable
Pin-Priority: 1

This means that testing will normally be preferred to unstable (unless
you ask for a package that is not in testing yet). In other words, you
can upgrade your testing system like before, and whenever you want one
or more packages from unstable you can call apt-get with "-t unstable",
e.g.:

apt-get -t unstable install flashplugin-nonfree

--
Regards, | http://users.icfo.es/Florian.Kulzer
Florian |


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org

Broke /etc/apt/preferences when trying to use just one package from unstable.
 

On Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 14:41:38 +0200, Florian Kulzer (florian.kulzer+debian@icfo.es) wrote:

> On Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 12:51:42 +0100, James Youngman wrote:
> > I modified /etc/apt/{preferences,sources.list} to get just
> > flashplugin-nonfree from unstable. That seemed to work.
> > However, now I find that "apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev" results in
> > this error:
> >
> > # apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev
> > Reading package lists... Done
> > Building dependency tree
> > Reading state information... Done
> > Package libsdl1.2-dev is not available, but is referred to by another package.
> > This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
> > is only available from another source
> > E: Package libsdl1.2-dev has no installation candidate
> >
> > Could somebody take a look at my preferences and sources.list files
> > and explain to me what I broke and how? I attach both files
> > (/etc/apt/sources.list.d is empty).
>
> Your apt_preferences has multiple matches for certain repositories and
> your last two rules put the priority of more or less everything to -1. I
> am not surprised that apt starts to become weird.
>
> Your goal can be achieved much simpler, with just one rule in
> preferences:
>
> Package: *
> Pin: release a=unstable
> Pin-Priority: 1
>
> This means that testing will normally be preferred to unstable (unless
> you ask for a package that is not in testing yet). In other words, you
> can upgrade your testing system like before, and whenever you want one
> or more packages from unstable you can call apt-get with "-t unstable",
> e.g.:
>
> apt-get -t unstable install flashplugin-nonfree

Thank you Florian. I may try that rule myself.

I have never used a preferences file myself, but knew enough to suspect
there was something not quite right with the OP's version, but not
enough to know what it was ;-)

--
Bob Cox. Stoke Gifford, near Bristol, UK.
Registered user #445000 with the Linux Counter - http://counter.li.org/


--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org