[Mageia-dev] Missing packages in Mageia 1. How to backport?

[James Kerr]

On 10/06/11 22:44, andre999 wrote:
> James Kerr a écrit :
>>
>> On 10/06/11 15:09, James Kerr wrote:
>>> On 10/06/11 13:54, Michael Scherer wrote:
>>>> Le vendredi 10 juin 2011 à 14:21 +0200, Oliver Burger a écrit :
>>>>> Thomas Backlund<tmb at mageia.org> schrieb am 10.06.2011
>>>>>> So the path would then be */updates_testing -> */updates _if_ we
>>>>>> decide that's the way to go...
>>>>> As I see it, it's the only user friendly way. Using backports is fine
>>>>> for experienced users who do know what to install from backports or
>>>>> who are capable of facing the consequences.
>>>>> If a total newbie asks fort a package in the forums and is pointed to
>>>>> backports he is in great danger of wrecking his system by installing
>>>>> some new kernel, graphics driver, desktop or whatever, precisely
>>>>> because there is no real qa on backports.
>>>>
>>>> He can also wait for the release. Or he can enable backport just for
>>>> the
>>>> time needed to install and then disable it. I think rpmdrake have some
>>>> stuff for that.
>>>
>>> Even though backports are disabled rpmdrake can display a list of
>>> available backports. (The sources are automatically updated by
>>> mgaonline.) A selected backport can then be installed, without enabling
>>> the backports source. (I've just tested this on mdv 2010.0, the only mdv
>>> system that I have available.)
>>
>> I've just realised there is a potential problem with this. Because
>> Mageia has /backports_testing repo's (mdv does not) packages from
>> /backports_testing may also be displayed. Mgaonline is updating those
>> sources.
>>
>> Jim
>
> That was a bug in rpmdrake.
> If you had updated the repos with backports media enabled, when the
> backports media was subsequently disabled, the previously available
> backports packages remained displayed/installable. But new backports
> were not added if the repos were updated with backports disabled. There
> was the same problem for other media (like non-free).
> Otherwise enabling/disabling backports (or any other media) wouldn't
> make any sense.
>

It is not a bug, but intended behaviour. When mdkonline/mgaonline is 
running it updates backports sources each time it checks for updates. As 
I indicated in an earlier email you can see that this is done if you 
check /var/log/auth.log.

The system that I tested on, has never had backports sources enabled and 
I was able to install a recent package from a disabled backports source, 
by selecting it from Backports, displayed using the first filter in 
rpmdrake.

This facility was set up to allow inexperienced users to selectively 
install backports, without enabling the backports sources.

Jim