[Bug 1208820] Re: Pinning preferences do not override eachother as expected

[David Kalnischkies]

The apt_preferences manpage says:
1)  Note that this [referring to the target release] has precedence over any general priority you set in the /etc/apt/preferences file described later, but not over specifically pinned packages.
2) If any specific-form records match an available package version then the first such record determines the priority of the package version. Failing that, if any general-form records match an available package version then the first such record determines the priority of the package version. [earlier in the manpage is said in which order the records are parsed]

So this is documented behavior and is not going to change as people are
(rightfully) depending on it – as depending on a manpage is way better
than the "i expect it to work that way" as advanced stuff usually isn't
(or at least not for all, as expectations are different for everyone).

In short: Pinning is a highly advanced feature, so reading the manpage
is HIGHLY recommend. Failing to do so is usually equivalent to
destroying your system with a (virtual) sledgehammer.

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

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Title:
  Pinning preferences do not override eachother as expected

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  Opinion

Bug description:
  When some pinning rules are added in /etc/apt/preferences.d/ the
  priority values of the rules that matches first are used.

  Take this example:

  Package: *
  Pin: release n=raring
  Pin-Priority: 990

  Package: *
  Pin: release o=LP-PPA-my-raring-ppa
  Pin-Priority: 50

  Results in all packages of my-raring-ppa to have a priority of 990.
  (This can be 'fixed' by reverting these two sets of pinning rules)

  
  Furthermore, if

  APT::Default-Release "raring";

  is used (default in /etc/apt/apt/config.d/01ubuntu), all raring
  packages have a priority of 990 and

  Package: *
  Pin: release o=LP-PPA-my-raring-ppa
  Pin-Priority: 50

  is not working anymore to set/lower the priority of the my-raring-ppa
  packages to 50.

  
  The latter is quite a problem, as this prevents pinning from working properly (IMO).
  I do not know whether there are two problems
    1) APT::Default-Release is precessed after the preferences
    2) Order of pinning rules is reverse-chronological

  , or that both problems have the same origin.

  $ apt-cache policy apt
  apt:
    Installed: 0.9.7.7ubuntu4
    Candidate: 0.9.7.7ubuntu4
    Version table:
       0.9.9.1~ubuntu2 0
           50 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ saucy/main amd64 Packages
   *** 0.9.7.7ubuntu4 0
          990 http://nl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ raring/main amd64 Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

  $ lsb_release -rd
  Description:    Ubuntu 13.04
  Release:        13.04

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