[Aptitude-devel] Bug#722158: aptitude frequently forgets "hold" state

[Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo]

Hi,

2013-09-08 16:27 Ralf Jung:
>Package: aptitude
>Version: 0.6.8.2-1.2
>Severity: normal
>
>Dear Maintainer,
>
>aptitude frequently forgets packages being "on hold". For several weeks now,
>I have the jack libraries on hold, but often when I start "aptitude -u" and then hit "U",
>it will still try to update the packages. Then I have to "Cancel pending actions",
>and mark the packages as "on hold" again before continuing the update.
>Unfortunately, I found no way to reproduce this problem. It also happens when I start
>"aptitude" and hit "u" and then "U", but so far I don't think it ever happened if the
>list update was a no-op (as all lists where already up-to-date). The bug does NOT depend
>on whether any other packages become upgradeable.

Try to avoid "Cancel pending actions" because it also clears hold
states, see discussion in:

  https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=576319


If you find this situation again, as a workaround, it's probably better
to Undo (menu or Control-U) and mark to upgrade by hand.

If marking the packages to upgrade by hand takes too long because there
are too many, you can limit the view to upgradable packages not on hold
('l', then type '~U !~ahold' and OK), and then you can '+' on the tree.
You can probably achieve the same result from the command line using
upgrade action and the same pattern.


Fixing the reason why aptitude forgets in some cases the holds, will
probably not be easy nor quick.


Cheers.
-- 
Manuel A. Fernandez Montecelo <manuel.montezelo at gmail.com>