Is it possible to switch to Debian Testing?

[mr_dellarenta]

Previously I tried a HD install followed by a downgrade to the Debian Stable version. This did not go very well (system was unusable).

For reasons which I will not go into I CANNOT just do a install of Woody (Debian Stable).

So I decided to use Knoppix due to its outstanding hardware detection (the main issue with Woody).

Now as I understand Knoppix is basically a Tesing/Unstable version of Debian when installed on a HD.

What I want to know is:

Is it possible to set up apt so that it will only upgrade to the testing packages?

I have the line:

APT:efault-Release "Testing";

in my /etc/apt/apt.conf

I am happy with the way Knoppix is running now (with any unstable packages that are installed) but I want apt to overlook installing any further unstable packages but at the same time leaving the ones that are there alone (i.e.: no downgrade).

I have also enabled the stable and testing sources in my apt sources list.

My aim is to end up with a standard Debian Testing distro.

Should this work?

Thanks

Mr_D

P.S. I have read on debianhelp.org that people who have tried this method of installing a Debian distro encounter 'knoppixisms' in that some dependancies are made with Knoppix-Specific packages etc. Can anyone comment on what these effects are and how severe they are.

[Stephen]

You can do what you want by commenting out the line(s) for unstable in your /etc/apt/sources.list. You would then apt-get update and upgrade when you upgrade it should tell you that it is going to remove all of KDE and may offer to install KDE 2.2.2 if not then just install the kde meta package later and you will have the 2.2.2 version.

[mr_dellarenta]

It's not just KDE I am concered about. KDE 3.0 is stable now. KDE 2.2.2 is old now and has been supersceded. Woody runs 3.0 (or 3.1) so I don't think it would install KDE 2.2.2.

[Stephen]

It's not just KDE I am concered about. KDE 3.0 is stable now. KDE 2.2.2 is old now and has been supersceded. Woody runs 3.0 (or 3.1) so I don't think it would install KDE 2.2.2.

If you look at where the programs come from then yes you will get 2.2.2 not KDE > 3.0 in testing.

[06:07 PM Mon Sep 29: stephen @ ~]
>$ apt-cache policy kdebase
kdebase:
  Installed: 4:3.1.3-1
  Candidate: 4:3.1.3-1
  Version Table:
 *** 4:3.1.3-1 0
        500 http://ftp.uk.debian.org unstable/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     4:2.2.2-14.7 0
        500 http://security.debian.org stable/updates/main Packages
     4:2.2.2-14 0
        500 http://ftp.uk.debian.org stable/main Packages
        990 http://ftp.uk.debian.org testing/main Packages