Package: apt Version: 0.7.24 Severity: minor Tags: patch Hello,
It took me some time to understand how the preferences work, because the manpage does not clearly explain that a single version of a package gets several priorities, one for each place where it is available. This was specially difficult with a french version of the manpage, that incorrectly uses a singular where the original had a plural. I suggest to add: - a note about this fact in the paragraph that introduces the algorithm; - a reference to “apt-cache policy”, to illustrate it after the algorithm; - a precision about “apt-get upgrade” and “apt-get install”, that will upgrade a package only if the version with the maximal priority is not the same than the installed one. Here is a patch that introduces these modifications in the english, french and spanish DocBook versions of the apt_preferences(5). Regards, -- Tanguy Ortolo -- Package-specific info: -- (/etc/apt/preferences present, but not submitted) -- -- (/etc/apt/sources.list present, but not submitted) -- -- System Information: Debian Release: 5.0.3 APT prefers stable APT policy: (990, 'stable'), (500, 'testing'), (50, 'unstable'), (1, 'experimental') Architecture: amd64 (x86_64) Kernel: Linux 2.6.30-2-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores) Locale: LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=fr_FR.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8) Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash Versions of packages apt depends on: ii debian-archive-keyring 2009.01.31 GnuPG archive keys of the Debian a ii libc6 2.10.1-7 GNU C Library: Shared libraries ii libgcc1 1:4.3.2-1.1 GCC support library ii libstdc++6 4.3.2-1.1 The GNU Standard C++ Library v3 apt recommends no packages. Versions of packages apt suggests: pn apt-doc <none> (no description available) ii aptitude 0.4.11.11-1+b2 terminal-based package manager ii bzip2 1.0.5-1 high-quality block-sorting file co ii dpkg-dev 1.14.25 Debian package development tools ii lzma 4.43-14 Compression method of 7z format in ii python-apt 0.7.13.3 Python interface to libapt-pkg ii synaptic 0.63 Graphical package manager -- no debconf information
diff -ru apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1.old/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml --- apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1.old/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml 2009-11-23 13:12:14.000000000 +0100 +++ apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml 2009-11-23 13:46:28.000000000 +0100 @@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ </para> <para>If the target release has been specified then APT uses the following -algorithm to set the priorities of the versions of a package. Assign: +algorithm to set the priorities of the versions of a package (note the plural: +a single version can get several priorities, one for each place where it is +available). Assign: <variablelist> <varlistentry> @@ -92,6 +94,8 @@ <listitem><simpara>to the versions that are not installed and belong to the target release.</simpara></listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> +The result of this algorithm can be displayed with the command +<command>apt-cache policy <replaceable>some-package</replaceable></command>. </para> <para>If the target release has not been specified then APT simply assigns @@ -119,7 +123,8 @@ <para>In a typical situation, the installed version of a package (priority 100) is not as recent as one of the versions available from the sources listed in -the &sources-list; file (priority 500 or 990). Then the package will be upgraded +the &sources-list; file (priority 500 or 990). Then, if the version of the highest +priority is not the same than the installed version, the package will be upgraded when <command>apt-get install <replaceable>some-package</replaceable></command> or <command>apt-get upgrade</command> is executed. </para> diff -ru apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1.old/doc/es/apt_preferences.es.5.sgml apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1/doc/es/apt_preferences.es.5.sgml --- apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1.old/doc/es/apt_preferences.es.5.sgml 2009-11-23 13:12:14.000000000 +0100 +++ apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1/doc/es/apt_preferences.es.5.sgml 2009-11-23 13:46:26.000000000 +0100 @@ -75,7 +75,9 @@ <para> Si se ha especificado una distribuci?n objetivo, APT usa el siguiente -algoritmo para establecer las prioridades de cada versi?n de un paquete. +algoritmo para establecer las prioridades de cada versi?n de un paquete +(note el plural: un ?nico paquete puede tener m?ltiples prioridades, una +para cada lugar donde est? disponible). Asigna: <variablelist> @@ -94,6 +96,8 @@ pertenecen a la distribuci?n objetivo.</simpara></listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> +El resultado de est algoritmo puede consultarse ejecutando +<command>apt-cache policy <replaceable>alg?n-paquete</replaceable></command>. </para> <para> @@ -128,7 +132,8 @@ <para> T?picamente, la versi?n instalada del paquete (prioridad 100) no es tan reciente como la disponible a trav?s de &sources-list; -(prioridad 500 o 990). Entonces el paquete se actualizar? cuando se ejecute +(prioridad 500 o 990). Entonces, si la versi?n de maxima prioridad +es distinta de la version instalada, el paquete se actualizar? cuando se ejecute <command>apt-get install <replaceable>alg?n-paquete</replaceable></command> o <command>apt-get upgrade</command>. </para> diff -ru apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1.old/doc/fr/apt_preferences.fr.5.xml apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1/doc/fr/apt_preferences.fr.5.xml --- apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1.old/doc/fr/apt_preferences.fr.5.xml 2009-11-23 13:12:14.000000000 +0100 +++ apt-0.7.20.2+lenny1/doc/fr/apt_preferences.fr.5.xml 2009-11-23 13:38:35.000000000 +0100 @@ -73,8 +73,9 @@ </para> <para> Quand une distribution par d?faut a ?t? indiqu?e, APT utilise -l'algorithme suivant pour d?terminer la priorit? des versions d'un -paquet : +l'algorithme suivant pour d?terminer les priorit?s des versions d'un +paquet (notez le pluriel?: plusieurs priorit?s peuvent ?tre affect?es +? une seule version, une pour chaque endroit o? elle est disponible) : <variablelist> <varlistentry><term>une priorit? ?gale ? 100</term> @@ -91,6 +92,8 @@ qui appartiennent ? la distribution par d?faut.</simpara></listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> +Le r?sultat de cet algorithme peut ?tre consult? avec la commande +<command>apt-cache policy <replaceable>paquet</replaceable></command>. </para> <para> Quand aucune distribution par d?faut n'a ?t? indiqu?e, APT affecte @@ -130,8 +133,9 @@ <para> En g?n?ral, la version install?e d'un paquet (priorit? 100) n'est pas aussi r?cente que les versions disponibles dans les sources -list?es dans le fichier &sources-list; (priorit? 500 ou 990). Et donc le -paquet sera mis ? niveau avec la commande : +list?es dans le fichier &sources-list; (priorit? 500 ou 990). Aussi, si +la version de plus haute priorit? n'est pas la m?me que la version install?e, +le paquet sera mis ? niveau avec la commande : <command>apt-get install <replaceable>paquet</replaceable></command> ou <command>apt-get dist-upgrade</command>. </para>