Bug 5197 – ability to set package status

• Product: Portage Development
• Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE

[Description Ben Lutgens (RETIRED) 2002-07-18 11:54:18 UTC]

I'd like the ability to set a packages status. For example to place a package on
"Hold" so that it's not upgraded, removed, etc. For instance you could run
something like

"emerge -set hold openssh" 

And have portage tell you that you're placing openssh on hold. So if you went to
do an "emerge --update world --pretend" rather than saying "[B] Blocked" it
would say "[H] Hold" and move on. Ideally if another package were to DEPEND on
that package being upgraded it should say something to the effect of "hey, this
package is on Hold, but I need to upgrade it to complete foo request is this
o.k.? y/N" and act accordingly.

Similar functionality can be found in debian's dpkg utility, see the
"--set-selections" option. Personally I'd like to see this sort of functionality
go into another tool. If you read the manpages for dpkg and rpm there's dozens
and dozens of options, and several "modes" which have thier own options which
are incompatible with other "modes" options. This sorta thing lends to
unusability IMHO.

[Comment 1 Daniel Robbins (RETIRED) 2002-12-09 13:33:17 UTC]

This should be possible via the world file (=net-misc/openssh-2.0.1 should keep
it "held" to 2.0.1) but it would be nice to have Portage explicitly inform you
during --update world when this is actually going on with [H] as you describe.

[Comment 2 SpanKY 2003-01-08 12:49:45 UTC]

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 2767 ***