How to update gutsy with GIMP from hardy?

[Tom Bamford]

Kent Paul Dolan wrote:
> I'm still a bit bemused by the update mechanism for
> Ubuntu. I can do the default stuff pretty easily,
> but exceptional cases are still a mystery.
>
> Right now, using "apt-get dist-upgrade", or "apt-get
> install gimp", gutsy is updating to superseded
> version GIMP 2.4.0 RC 3, and telling me that said
> superseded version is "current".
>
> Well, no it isn't, by some months now.
>
> Hardy, which isn't to be released for another more
> than four months, has what the GIMP developers think
> is the current GIMP, version 2.4.2, listed in its
> packages web page.
>
> Is there a way to tell gutsy to upgrade to the hardy
> release? Is it safe to do so?
>
> Is there a FAQ page I should be reading that
> explains how to keep up to date with individual
> package development when gutsy isn't upgrading to
> the "most current" releases "in real time"?
>
> Or, am I stuck with waiting until April 2008 to use
> the latest greatest GIMP release?
>
> xanthian.
>
>   
Hi,

I don't know about Gimp specifically, but my experience of trying to get 
packages from newer Ubuntu releases has been rough. The problem I've had 
on every occasion was the newer package having unsolved dependancies, 
mostly libs and other supporting packages that were too old. The one 
occasion I forced a newer version of a common library left my packaging 
system in a broken state.

However, if you want to get the latest version you can download it from 
http://packages.ubuntu.com and install it manually with dpkg (terminal) 
or gdebi (gui). If you get an unsolved dependancy, which is likely, you 
can force the installation using "dpkg --force -i packagename.deb" but 
be prepared for a possible fallout. You could also try and solve the 
dependancies but that can be a windy road to insanity.

Hope this helps,
Tom