Newsgroups:  gmane.linux.debian.user
Date:        Sun, 08 Jan 2006 13:14:44 -0500

I've been following the "Debian Backports - Instructions" at http://www.backports.org/instructions.html to use backports. However, it doesn't work for me:

I've done all the settings required in the instruction:

$ grep backports /etc/apt/sources.list
# backports
deb http://www.backports.org/debian/ sarge-backports main

$ grep -1 backports /etc/apt/preferences
Package: *
Pin: release a=sarge-backports
Pin-Priority: 200

I want to install the backports' asciidoc.

$ apt-cache policy asciidoc
asciidoc:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: 6.0.3-1
Version Table:
7.0.2-4 0
80 http://debian.yorku.ca testing/main Packages
40 http://debian.yorku.ca unstable/main Packages
7.0.2-3bpo1 0
200 http://www.backports.org sarge-backports/main Packages
*** 6.0.3-1 0
1001 http://debian.yorku.ca sarge/main Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

However, when I issued the apt-get as instructed, only the mail sarge version is installed:

$ apt-get -t sarge-backports install asciidoc
[...]
The following NEW packages will be installed:
asciidoc python2.4
[...]
Setting up asciidoc (6.0.3-1) ...

$ apt-cache policy asciidoc
asciidoc:
Installed: 6.0.3-1
Candidate: 6.0.3-1
Version Table:
7.0.2-4 0
80 http://debian.yorku.ca testing/main Packages
40 http://debian.yorku.ca unstable/main Packages
7.0.2-3bpo1 0
200 http://www.backports.org sarge-backports/main Packages
*** 6.0.3-1 0
1001 http://debian.yorku.ca sarge/main Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Why is that?

How can I install backports packages properly? I want to, as recommended, to pick out single backports which fits my needs, and not to use all backports available.

T

-t, --target-release, --default-release,
       This  option controls the default input to the policy engine, it
       creates a default pin at priority 990 using  the  specified  re-
       lease  string.

 Package: *
 Pin: release a=stable
Pin-Priority: 1001