[ale] Mixing Debian versions

[David Corbin]

James Sumners wrote:
> Yes! Use backports.org and put only the back port you want in the sources.list.
> Mixing branches will lead to no end of headache for you.
> 
> On Thu, 25 Mar 2004 08:39:03 -0500
> Jim Lynch <jwl at sgi.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>>David Corbin wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I have a debian stable system.  I'd like to keep it "stable" as much as 
>>>possible, but I need some libraries from testing/unstable (more modern 
>>>versions). 
>>>
>>>I know that apt supports "pinning", and mixing various version in various 
>>>ways, but I've never quite grasped how it works well enough to be successful 
>>>with it.
>>>
>>>How can I say, "use stable for everything", except for this pacakge or that 
>>>package that I need from "testing". (and ideally, no more updates beyond 
>>>version X).
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>> 
>>>
>>
>>You would be better off if you can find a backport of the software you 
>>are interested in.  Backports are newer versions of deb packages that 
>>are in unstable or testing and have been packaged to fit within earlier 
>>versions, like woody for example.  Google for backport and debian and 
>>see if what you want isn't already avaliable.  If so that is the safest 
>>way to go.
>>
>>Otherwise you can change your sources.list file in /etc/apt to point to 
>>unstable or testing.  Do an apt-get update to read the new stuff in, 
>>then apt-get install newpackage.
>>
>>When you are through, change the sources.list file back to woody and do 
>>another apt-get update.  Be prepared for problems however.  They can 
>>happen when you mix two versions. 
>>
>>That said, I'm running a combination of stable and unstable myself.  It 
>>takes some luck to keep a system running that way however.  8)

And if you need two different backports?   (this is why I was looking at 
  unstable/testing + pinning, instead of the alternatives)