Selectively adding packages from Debian Testing

add-package-from-testing

#!/bin/bash

RELEASE=testing
PREFS=/etc/apt/preferences.d/debian-${RELEASE}
PRIORITY=300

# Set up two variables: one with the package names, and one with package
# names followed by /testing (for example)
PACKAGENAMES="$@"
for pkg in "$@"; do
	PACKAGENAMES_WITH_RELEASE="${PACKAGENAMES_WITH_RELEASE} ${pkg}/${RELEASE}"
done

# Variables used in the prefs file comment
SCRIPT=$(readlink -f ${0})
DATESTAMP=$(date)

simcommand="apt-get --simulate --quiet install ${PACKAGENAMES_WITH_RELEASE}"
installcmd="sudo apt-get --quiet install ${PACKAGENAMES_WITH_RELEASE}"

# Check to see if it's feasible with just the packages listed
${simcommand} > /dev/null 2>&1
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
	echo "Package removals/installations along with source distro/release:"
	echo "----------------------------------------------------------------"
	${simcommand} | egrep "^Inst|^Remv"
	if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
		cat <<-EOF
			NONE!

			Warning: The install command
			    ${installcmd}
			appears to not actually	change anything. Perhaps you've already used
			this script for those packages?

			You can continue, but all this script will do is:

EOF
	installcmd="echo 'Skipping install command'"
	else
		cat <<-EOF

			This install is possible.  If you continue, this script will:

			  - Perform the above operations by running the command:
				  ${installcmd}

EOF
	fi
	
	echo "  - Pin the following to '${RELEASE}' with priority ${PRIORITY} by appending to '${PREFS}':"
	for pkg in ${PACKAGENAMES}; do
		echo "      ${pkg}"
	done

	cat <<-EOF

		To continue, please type a summary for this group to be used as a comment in '${PREFS}'.
		To cancel, press Ctrl-C or hit enter without entering a summary.
EOF

	# Read comment or allow cancellation
	read COMMENT || exit 1
	if [ "x${COMMENT}" == "x" ]; then
		echo "Empty comment - exiting."
		exit 1
	fi
	
	echo "Will continue to install and pin group '${COMMENT}'"
	sudo -v
	
	# Clever way of doing a heredoc with sudo
	sudo bash -c "cat >> ${PREFS}" <<-EOF

		# ${COMMENT}
		# Added by ${SCRIPT} on ${DATESTAMP}
		Package: ${PACKAGENAMES}
		Pin: release a=${RELEASE}
		Pin-Priority: ${PRIORITY}
EOF

	

else

	cat <<-EOF

		Incomplete package group - must specify more package names
		Output from simulating '${installcmd}':
		-------

EOF
	${simcommand}
	cat <<-EOF

		-------
		
		Consider re-running $0 with additional package names to install
		from testing to satisfy the dependencies listed above.
EOF
	exit 1
fi

apt-preferencesd-debian-testing

# Default to not use packages from testing unless it's the only way
Package: *
Pin: release a=testing
Pin-Priority: 50

debian-testing.list

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian testing main