quick apt command help...(ubuntu rant?)

[ZephyrQ]

Derek Broughton wrote:
> ZephyrQ wrote:
> 
>> Arnaud_B wrote:
>>> do you mean debian unstable?
>>> if yes you need to do:
>>> $wget http://tinyurl.com/lbhwg
>>> $sudo dpkg -i gphoto2
>>> if you mean dapper(which is not unstable because current stable...):
>>> $wget http://tinyurl.com/ot8gk
>>> $sudo dpkg -i gphoto2
>>> Edgy repositories are not yet open from what I know...
>>> Hope this helps,
>>> A.
>> Thanx for the help, but unfortunately, I've been down this road.
>>
>> What I need is a way to use Apt to retrieve and install gphoto2 with
>> dependencies from the unstable branch (still trying to get an iRiver
>> going) and I can't seem to find the command I need.
>>
>> I do not have unstable in my sources.list as I'm trying to not
>> 'confuse' breezy before an update to dapper.
> 
> There really is no such "command".  What you can do is add apt "pinning". 
> NB!  I'm no expert at this!
> 
> Add Debian unstable to your sources.list.
> 
> In /etc/apt/preferences, add:
> 
>   Package: *gphoto*
>   Pin: release o=Debian
>   Pin-Priority: 650
> 
>   Package: *
>   Pin: release o=Debian
>   Pin-Priority: -1
> 
> This makes anything with 'gphoto' in the name have a priority of 650 (higher
> than the default 500) and anything else in a Debian repository have a
> priority of -1 (uninstallable).
> 
> Try the install, it'll no doubt fail because of dependencies, then add new
> entries for the missing packages until it works.  By the time you have all
> the dependencies working, it may be trying to remove your Gnome or KDE
> install, because something (many things, actually) in Debian is
> incompatible with Breezy.

	Thanks for this, I tried something similar (being a Libranet refugee, I 
am a little familiar with pinning), but the dependency hell was almost 
to the 'uninstall gnome' stage.

	It seems I have finally found a serious issue with Ubuntu--I was not 
able to compile the software I needed to make something work.  If it 
isn't in the Universe or Multi-verse repositories, then you take a risk 
by adding unstable or testing to your repository tree; when I did this 
it messed up my synaptic and apt and I had to revert back to the old 
sources.list.

	When I tried to compile gphoto2 directly, I could not because I didn't 
have the compiler (sudo ./configure bailed).

	Excuse the rant, [/rant on/]but I have *never* had to go to Windows to 
accomplish something as simple as installing firmware...and now I will 
have to (due to time constraints and impending 2 week vacation I cannot 
just 'install dapper' or any other OS right now).

	My buddy who uses SuSE is now laughing at me.  I am not a linux guru, 
but can piddle my way around usually.  One reason I stayed with Ubuntu 
(I was waiting on CDs of Etch when I installed Ubuntu as a desperate 
measure) was that it 'just worked'.  Now it doesn't. [/rant off/]

	Back to the original issue:  I need to install firmware onto a iRiver 
T10 to convert it from a MTP to a UMS readable player.  The only option 
given (after quite a bit of trying for me) was to use gphoto2...but it 
had to be the latest greatest.

	I have not been able to get *any* program to read the T10 for me to 
install the firmware I have downloaded, and I cannot get the latest 
greatest ghoto2 without jumping through hoops I don't have time to jump 
through (installing dapper for the 2nd time, first time failed; etc.)

	I am open to suggestions...and thanx for listening...