Ubuntu package upgrading and spamassassin

[Matthew Kuiken]

José Paulo Matafome Oleiro wrote:
> Dom, 2006-08-06 às 10:29 -0400, Laura Conrad escreveu:
>> I notice that the ubuntu Dapper spamassassin version is several months
>> out of date (3.1.0a-2ubuntu).  The Spamassassin site says 3.1.0 was
>> released in September of 2005, and that 3.1.3 (June, 2006) was an
>> important security release.  The latest and greatest is 3.1.4 (July,
>> 2006).
>>
>> How do experienced Ubuntu users deal with this?
>>
>>     Is there a way to push Ubuntu to deliver newer packages of specific
>>     programs?  
>>
>>     Is there a better Ubuntu way to deal with new species of spam than
>>     just using Spamassassin?
>>
>> -- 
>> Laura (mailto:lconrad at laymusic.org <mailto:lconrad at laymusic.org> , http://www.laymusic.org/ )
>> (617) 661-8097	fax: (501) 641-5011
>> 233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
>>
>>     
> You can try to create a debian install file, using the source code of 
> the program.
> To do this you need to follow the next steps
> P.S.: I'm never tried to do this, but I think this should work, if 
> anybody had suggestions give then
>
<snip lots of install process and other useful info>

I can't answer to the spamassasin question, but for keeping track of 
stuff installed from source, I've always seen 'checkinstall' 
recommended, as it creates a record so that the program can be 
uninstalled using apt/synaptic later if need arises.  This integrates 
slightly better with the Ubuntu system.

I will add my $0.02 though.  Ubuntu often packages updates in the 
dapper-security and dapper-updates repositories.  I am not certain if 
spamassasin is one of those updates.  If it is not, you can request a 
backport through dapper-backports:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuBackports

Another thing to be aware of is that a lot of bug fixes are added to 
Ubuntu, but increase the number after ubuntu in the version naming.  
These security patches fix bugs, but don't bring in new features, and 
thus the main revision is not bumped up, but the bugs are fixed.  Again, 
though, this is a package by package operation.  While the kernel has 
some bug fixes that weren't done until 2.6.17, other packages may be 
further behind.

-Matt