Correct way to use an older version of a package in Ubuntu?

[Mitch Contla]

On 6/26/07, Adam Funk <a24061 at ducksburg.com> wrote:
> On 2007-06-12, Mitch Contla wrote:
>
> >> What's the correct way in Ubuntu to downgrade to a previous version of
> >> a package and keep it that way for a while?
> >>
> >> Last time I tried to do this (possibly using one of my old Debian
> >> command-line habits), I kept getting annoying messages in the update
> >> manager telling me to do a "partial upgrade" which did nothing.
>
>
> > You can install a specific version and then 'pin' it so that the
> > update-manager ignores it. For example, I recently 'downgraded' cdparanoia
> > and libcdparanoia0 like this:
> >
> >    $ sudo aptitude cdparanoia=3a9.8-13 libcdparanoia0=3a9.8-13
> >
> > Next I added the following entries to /etc/apt/preferences:
> >
> >    Package: cdparanoia
> >    Pin: version 3a9.8-13*
> >    Pin-Priority: 1001
> >
> >    Package: libcdparanoia0
> >    Pin: version 3a9.8-13*
> >    Pin-Priority: 1001
> >
> > Now the update manager ignores updates for those packages.
>
> I think that's the "old Debian way" I tried to do it last time ... but
> I'll take a closer look and see if perhaps I missed a detail.
>
>
Hmm. Since ubuntu uses apt[itude]/dpkg for package management, I don't
know why the "old Debian way" wouldn't be the "current Ubuntu way". :)

I've struggled with this as well. Putting a package on "hold" is the
only other way I could find to keep a package at the current version,
but of course the update-notifier constantly indicates there is an
update.

All of the Ubuntu docs that get into package management, ultimately
refer to the Debian docs for more complex topics, and "pinning" a
package is the only action I found to keep a specific package version
while quieting the update-notifier. In fact, the only Ubuntu docs I
found that cover keeping a specific package version are on the wiki:

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

If you find a better way, I am interested.

-- 
Mitch