Switching to stable with keeping existing packages.

Message

Magotari · Post by **Magotari** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:56 am

I'd like to stabilize my system a bit. Everything works fine, there is no need to use cutting-edge things for a moment. I could just change ~x86 to x86 in make.conf and I'd be on the stable branch again. The problem is that I would like not to lose whatever unstable packages I already have.

Is there some way to make portage install stable packages when they are newer than currently installed, but keep the existing packages if stable is behind unstable? I'm thinking emerge --no-downgrade or something like that. Is there a way to do this, or am I stuck with unstable?

I looked around the faqs and manuals, could not find anything. I'd love to be pointed at the relevant material, if I missed it.

legine · Post by **legine** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 8:06 am

I dont think there is a automatic way to swap from unstable to stable.

Maybe not the most elegant way.

Swap Usefalag from ~x86 to 86.
Use emerge -up world > ~/portage.keywords (hope the keyfile is the correct name

)
Swap back to ~x86 (just for security)
The correct it by hand to have all packages the unstable entries.
(Example: app-cdr/cdrkit ~x86 )
When done swap it with the old file in etc and set x86 again.
Thenrun update process...

wjb · Post by **wjb** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 1:42 pm

This command will make a list of the current package versions you have installed. If you add this list into /etc/portage/package.keywords, it should keep everything you currently have when you switch make.conf to x86.

Code: Select all

eix -cIx --pure-packages --format-compact "<fullinstalled>" | sed s/^/=/ | sed "s/$/ ~x86/"

Eventually, as the stable versions pass the ones in this list, the packages will start to update again.

You can use eix-test-obsolete every now and again to find out which entries in package.keywords are not needed anymore

Magotari · Post by **Magotari** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:20 pm

Thanks, that is what I was looking for.