2.2.11 Holding back packages from an upgrade
There are two mechanisms for holding back packages from an upgrade, through
dpkg, or, beginning with Woody, through APT.
With dpkg, first export the list of package selections:
dpkg --get-selections \* > selections.txt
Then edit the resulting file selections.txt, changing
the line containing the package you wish to hold, e.g. libc6,
from this:
libc6 install
to this:
libc6 hold
Save the file, and reload it into dpkg database with:
dpkg --set-selections < selections.txt
Or, if you know the package name to hold, simply run:
echo libc6 hold | dpkg --set-selections
This procedure holds packages at the install process of each package file.
The same effect can be obtained through dselect. Simply enter the
[S]elect screen, find the package you wish to hold in its present state, and
press the `=' key (or `H'). The changes will take effect immediately after you
exit the [S]elect screen.
The APT system in the Woody distribution has a new alternative mechanism for
holding packages during the archive retrieval process using
Pin-Priority. See the manual page
apt_preferences(5), along with https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/
or the apt-howto package.
