[solved] how to pin ssh 7.x so it will install?

[ericx]

openssh-client 7.x is available in archive stretch (testing); but I don't want everything from stretch; so I pinned the testing archive low:

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Package: *
Pin: release a=stable
Pin-Priority: 500

Package: *
Pin: release l=Debian-Security
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 100

This results in what appears to be the correct priority:

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root@mycomp:/etc/ssh# apt-cache policy openssh-client
openssh-client:
  Installed: 1:6.7p1-5+deb8u3
  Candidate: 1:6.7p1-5+deb8u3
  Version table:
     1:7.4p1-10 0
        100 http://deb.debian.org/debian/ testing/main amd64 Packages
        100 http://mirror.cc.columbia.edu/debian/ testing/main amd64 Packages
 *** 1:6.7p1-5+deb8u3 0
        500 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main amd64 Packages
       1000 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main amd64 Packages
       1000 http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stable/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://mirror.cc.columbia.edu/debian/ stable/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

However, when I use "apt-get -t testing", it refuses to push the priority up:

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root@mycomp:/etc/ssh# apt-get install -t testing openssh-client
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
openssh-client is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 520 not upgraded.

If I'm reading the documentation correctly, the -t (target) is supposed to push the pin all the way up to 950?
Further, if I hard-code a pin just for openssh-client:

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Package: openssh-client
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 700

Package: *
Pin: release a=stable
Pin-Priority: 500

Package: *
Pin: release l=Debian-Security
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 100

The priority sort of looks better:

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root@mycomp:/etc/ssh# apt-cache policy openssh-client
openssh-client:
  Installed: 1:6.7p1-5+deb8u3
  Candidate: 1:6.7p1-5+deb8u3
  Package pin: 1:7.4p1-10
  Version table:
     1:7.4p1-10 700
        100 http://deb.debian.org/debian/ testing/main amd64 Packages
        100 http://mirror.cc.columbia.edu/debian/ testing/main amd64 Packages
 *** 1:6.7p1-5+deb8u3 700
        500 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main amd64 Packages
       1000 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main amd64 Packages
       1000 http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian/ stable/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://mirror.cc.columbia.edu/debian/ stable/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

But it still won't install:

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root@mycomp:/etc/ssh# apt-get install openssh-client
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
openssh-client is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 39 not upgraded.
root@mycomp:/etc/ssh# apt-get install -t testing openssh-client
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
openssh-client is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 520 not upgraded.

[cronoik]

I have just glanced at your post and noticed that you have pinned Debian-Security with 1000. This is still above 990 (-t parameter of apt-get) and therefore apt won't install anything from testing. Just remove the security and stable pin. Both have a default pin of 500, which is enough. You should also use the release name stretch instead of testing. Otherwise you will get a different version after the freeze has ended.

[ericx]

Thanks. That's a very clear explanation.
I'm still using "testing" in the release expression. I changed the archive string in source.lists to "stretch" explicitly; but "a=stretch" does not match the contents of stretch. I seem to remember seeing an ldif'like list of attributes for each of the archives; but I can't find it in /var/lib/apt/lists/*. Is there something other than 'a' that should be used in the release expression to match "stretch?"

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Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 100

[cronoik]

It is

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Pin: release n=stretch

More information can be found in the manpage of apt_preferences.