[Bug 891696] Re: /etc/apt/preferences and /etc/apt/preferences.d/* are ignored.

[Torsten Spindler]

I've added two files to /etc/apt/preferences.d, one containing a pin,
the other nonsense:

$ cat /etc/apt/preferences.d/apache 
Package: apache2
Pin: release n=lucid
Pin-Priority: 900

Package: apache2
Pin: release n=precise
Pin-Priority: 100

$ cat /etc/apt/preferences.d/wurst 
just a test

Upon 'apt-cache policy apache2' I get an error for wurst and the pinning (sort of) worked:
apache2:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 2.2.14-5ubuntu8
  Package pin: 2.2.14-5ubuntu8
  Version table:
     2.2.22-1ubuntu1 900
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main i386 Packages
     2.2.14-5ubuntu8 900
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main i386 Packages
N: Can not read /etc/apt/sources.list.d/a.list.
E: Invalid record in the preferences file /etc/apt/preferences.d/wurst, no Package header

Not sure why 2.2.22-1ubuntu1 is listed with 900 instead of 100, though.
Can you provide steps to reproduce your problem?


** Changed in: apt (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Incomplete

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/891696

Title:
  /etc/apt/preferences and /etc/apt/preferences.d/* are ignored.

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete

Bug description:
  Apt pinning is not possible, because /etc/apt/preferences and
  /etc/apt/preferences.d/* files are ignored.

  I know that they are ignored, because I made syntax error (after I had
  set up pinnings on both computers and noticed that they didn'' work on
  Ubuntu) in that file with two computers running different
  distribution. Debian gave error, Ubuntu didn't do anything.

  Apt pinning with these files is referred from wiki pages and man
  pages.

  I am using Ubuntu 11.10
  Package version is 0.8.16~exp5ubuntu13
  % apt-get --version
  apt 0.8.16~exp5ubuntu13 laitealustalle i386 käännöksen päiväys Oct  6 2011 15:25:29
  Tuetut moduulit:
  *Ver: Standard .deb
  *Pkg:  Debian dpkg interface (Priority 30)
   Pkg:  Debian APT solver interface (Priority -1000)
   S.L: 'deb' Standard Debian binary tree
   S.L: 'deb-src' Standard Debian source tree
   Idx: Debian Source Index
   Idx: Debian Package Index
   Idx: Debian Translation Index
   Idx: Debian dpkg status file
   Idx: EDSP scenario file

  I expected packages to get pinned.

  What happened instead: apt just ignored /etc/apt/preferences and
  /etc/apt/preferences.d/

  Steps to reproduce:
  1. Write anything to /etc/apt/preferences or some file in /etc/apt/preferences.d/
  2. That file is ignored in Ubuntu (with Debian you get error).

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
  Package: apt 0.8.16~exp5ubuntu13
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
  Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic i686
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia wl
  ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Thu Nov 17 18:20:44 2011
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
  SourcePackage: apt
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-09 (39 days ago)

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