Lock packages

Introduction

Sometimes you’d like to lock a package at a specific version and not allow it to be updated. This document shows how that can be done and undone. The package will not be updated unless you manually unlock it or update to a new release of Kubuntu or Ubuntu.

Check the dependencies of the package

Please be careful when deciding to lock a package. Do some research to be sure doing so won’t negatively impact the rest of the system. If other programs depend on the file, they may not run properly or at all with a file that isn’t current.

To get detailed information about a package and its dependencies and reverse dependencies, type this command in a terminal window, replacing XXX with the package name (the version number is not needed) to get detailed information about a package and its dependencies and reverse dependencies:

apt-cache showpkg XXX

• Example:

  apt-cache showpkg amarok

  Result:

  Package: amarok
  Versions: 
  2:2.5.0-0ubuntu6 (/var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_binary-i386_Packages) (/var/lib/dpkg/status)
   Description Language: 
                   File: /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_binary-i386_Packages
                    MD5: 8cb0abbd7a36a44af04429c5df99b014
   Description Language: en
                   File: /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_precise_main_i18n_Translation-en
                    MD5: 8cb0abbd7a36a44af04429c5df99b014
  
  
  Reverse Depends: 
    tangerine,amarok 2.0
    remuco-amarok,amarok 2.0
    moodbar,amarok
    ichthux-desktop,amarok
    ezgo-multimedia,amarok
    kubuntu-full,amarok
    kubuntu-desktop,amarok
    amarok-utils,amarok 2.1.80-1~
    amarok-utils,amarok 2.1.80-1~
    amarok-help-uk,amarok
    amarok-help-sv,amarok
    amarok-help-ru,amarok
    amarok-help-pt-br,amarok
    amarok-help-pt,amarok
    amarok-help-nl,amarok
    amarok-help-it,amarok
    amarok-help-fr,amarok
    amarok-help-et,amarok
    amarok-help-es,amarok
    amarok-help-en,amarok
    amarok-help-de,amarok
    amarok-dbg,amarok 2:2.5.0-0ubuntu6
    amarok-common,amarok 2:2.5.0-0ubuntu6
  Dependencies: 
  2:2.5.0-0ubuntu6 - amarok-common (5 2:2.5.0-0ubuntu6) amarok-utils (5 2:2.5.0-0ubuntu6) kde-runtime (0 (null)) libc6 (2 2.8) libcurl3-gnutls (2 7.16.2-1) libgcc1 (2 1:4.1.1) libgcrypt11 (2 1.4.5) libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 (2 2.22.0) libgl1-mesa-glx (16 (null)) libgl1 (0 (null)) libglib2.0-0 (2 2.14.0) libgpod4-nogtk (18 0.7.0) libgpod4 (2 0.7.0) libkcmutils4 (2 4:4.5.86) libkdecore5 (2 4:4.5) libkdeui5 (2 4:4.5.2) libkdewebkit5 (2 4:4.5) libkdnssd4 (2 4:4.5) libkfile4 (2 4:4.5) libkio5 (2 4:4.5) libknewstuff3-4 (2 4:4.5) liblastfm0 (2 0.4.0~really0.3.3) libloudmouth1-0 (2 1.1.4-2) libmtp9 (2 1.1.0) libmygpo-qt1 (2 1.0.2) libmysqlclient18 (2 5.5.13-1) libphonon4 (2 4:4.7.0really4.3.80) libplasma3 (2 4:4.5.86) libqjson0 (2 0.7.1) libqt4-dbus (2 4:4.6.1) libqt4-network (2 4:4.5.3) libqt4-opengl (2 4:4.5.3) libqt4-script (2 4:4.5.3) libqt4-sql (2 4:4.5.3) libqt4-svg (2 4:4.5.3) libqt4-xml (2 4:4.5.3) libqtcore4 (2 4:4.8.0) libqtgui4 (2 4:4.8.0) libqtwebkit4 (2 2.2~2011week36) libsolid4 (2 4:4.5) libstdc++6 (2 4.6) libtag-extras1 (2 1.0.0) libtag1c2a (2 1.6.1) libthreadweaver4 (2 4:4.5) libx11-6 (0 (null)) libxml2 (2 2.7.4) phonon (0 (null)) zlib1g (2 1:1.2.0) libqtscript4-core (0 (null)) libqtscript4-gui (0 (null)) libqtscript4-network (0 (null)) libqtscript4-xml (0 (null)) libqtscript4-sql (0 (null)) libqtscript4-uitools (0 (null)) libxine1-ffmpeg (0 (null)) libqt4-sql-sqlite (0 (null)) libqt4-sql-mysql (0 (null)) libqt4-sql-psql (0 (null)) moodbar (0 (null)) kdemultimedia-kio-plugins (2 4:4.2.0) 
  Provides: 
  2:2.5.0-0ubuntu6 - 
  Reverse Provides: 
  

Check the status of the package

The “Status” line tells you whether the package is installed or not. It also tells you if the package is locked. An unlocked package will show as “Status: install ok installed” and a locked package will show as “Status: hold ok installed”.

To check the status of a package, type this command in a terminal window, replacing XXX with the package name (the version number is not needed):

dpkg --get-selections XXX

• Example:

  dpkg --get-selections amarok

  Result if the package isn’t locked:

  amarok                                          install

  Result if the package is locked:

  amarok                                             hold

Lock the package

To lock a package, type this command in a terminal window, replacing XXX with the package name (the version number is not needed):

echo "XXX hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections

• Example:

  echo "amarok hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections

Unlock the package

To unlock a package, type this command in a terminal window, replacing XXX with the package name (the version number is not needed):

echo "XXX install" | sudo dpkg --set-selections

• Example:

  echo "amarok install" | sudo dpkg --set-selections

Obligatory Happy Ending

And they all lived happily ever after. The end.