Comments on Using Old Debian Versions In Your sources.list

Using Old Debian Versions In Your sources.list You might be in a situation where you have a sytem with an old Debian version that has reached end of life, like Etch, Sarge, Woody, etc., and a distribution upgrade is not an option for you (maybe because you have customized the system so much that you fear breaking the system by doing a distribution upgrade). The "normal" repositories for these old versions do not exist anymore, which means you cannot install new software or update existing packages using apt. This tutorial shows how you can modify your /etc/apt/sources.list to still get packages for your old Debian version using apt.

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By: Louis

I think this is a half complete howto, and yes how you are suggesting works ok.

Ik thinks you better use the folder /etc/apt/sources.list.d/  for adding files.
add a file like etch.list in this and put everything for etch in it.

i have for example.

debian-backports.list
debian-updates.list
testing.list
unstable.list

each contains its ow lines which you can enable or disable.

when using multiple version ( like stable/testing/unstable) you need to be in control
which version is installed. this is done with /etc/apt/preferended.d
you also put files in here. for me it is.

squeeze-backports
stable
stable-updates
testing
unstable

this files contains these lines :
Package: *
Pin: release a=squeeze-backports
Pin-Priority: 300
Package: *
Pin: release a=stable
Pin-Priority: 990
Package: *
Pin: release a=stable-updates
Pin-Priority: 200
Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 200
Package: *
Pin: release a=unstable
Pin-Priority: 50

I like to keep it separeted, but you can put it in one file. ( same for the sources files )
you can read more about pinning here : http://wiki.debian.org/AptPreferences 
in above example only stable is installed, but if needed i can pull file of every tree.

Priorities (P) assigned in the APT preferences file must be positive or
negative integers.  They are interpreted as follows (roughly speaking):

 P > 1000
   causes  an  instance  to be installed even if this constitutes a
   downgrade of the package

 990 < P <=1000
   causes an instance to be installed even if it does not come from
   the target release, unless the installed instance is more recent

 500 < P <=990
   causes an instance to be installed unless there is  an  instance
   available  belonging to the target release or the installed ver-
   sion is more recent

 100 < P <=500
   causes an instance to be installed unless there is  an  instance
   available  belonging to some other distribution or the installed
   version is more recent

 0 <= P <=100
   causes an instance to be installed only if there is no installed
   instance of the package

 P < 0  prevents the instance from being installed

By: Anderson

This is what I have been looking for!

 

Thank you!

By: Thomas

Thank you very much ! I was struggling to find where the archived sources where located.

By: Anonymous

Thanks a lot! 

By: Roy

Thanks very much.

Solved the issue with an embedded system TS-7800 running Debian Etch.

 

 

By: Glen

Thank you :) Worked great!!!

By: Bastian

Try the solution from nenad here if you still use debian lenny and try to upgrade:

http://mtehrani30.blogspot.de/2011/07/debian-lenny-update-php-52-to-53.html

 

By: Rodrigo

Hello,

I tried to do it but:

W: GPG error: http://archive.debian.org squeeze Release: The following signatures were invalid: KEYEXPIRED 1520281423 KEYEXPIRED 1501892461

W: GPG error: http://archive.debian.org squeeze/updates Release: The following signatures were invalid: KEYEXPIRED 1520281423

root@srv-nessus:~# apt-get install debian-archive-keyringReading package lists... DoneBuilding dependency treeReading state information... Donedebian-archive-keyring is already the newest version.0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 41 not upgraded.

 

By: Terry Carlson

Sir, you are a scholar and a gentleman of the first order. Thank s for the excellent explanation!

By: Jorge

Sir, saved me!!! Awesome tutorial.

By: Landu Nsuka

Thank You.

i join with https://wiki.debian.org/DebianWheezy and you help me.

GOOD

By: MaxiReglisse

i had to remove debian-security lines, and it worked !

# deb http://archive.debian.org/debian-security/ etch/updates main non-free contrib# deb-src http://archive.debian.org/debian-security/ etch/updates main non-free contrib

By: tahari abdeslam

Hello,

 

i followed the steps to update a wheezy based install system but unfortunately it wont work

 

i think it is too old now

: Release file for http://archive.debian.org/debian-security/dists/wheezy/updates/Release is expired (invalid since 616d 0h 58min 31s). Updates for this repository will not be applied.

 

By: tisc0

Falko, my man, thanks again for the quantity AND the quality of your tips & tutos !! Been almost 20 years... I followed you, blind eyes, when I installed my first debian server, and knew NOTHING ! You made me, bro, extremely grateful again today, when spotting a so old debian 7 in one of my pools :)

Big respect for your enormous contribution.orz