Getting proposed updates on Linux

December

2023

Linux

29 December 2023 16:07

"Proposed" repositories exist on Ubuntu Linux and Debian. What are they for?

Purpose of the proposed update repository (proposed)

Repositories proposed(proposed or planned updates) serve to receive updates from a future release to the current stable version of the distribution. There is no need to enable them. They are rarely needed, only for “accelerated” receipt of a fix released by the developer for an old supported version of the distribution.

According to the community documentation on repositories, the proposed repository is:

area for testing updates. This repository is recommended only for those interested in helping test updates and provide feedback.

According to the community documentation on return ports, the suggested repository is:

area for testing updates. Several people must leave positive reviews for these packages before they are accepted for updates. This repository is recommended ONLY for those interested in helping test updates and provide feedback. Since they are actually testing updates, there is a higher chance of defective updates appearing in this repository.

Clarification from the Ubuntu forum:

When a version of Ubuntu is released and considered stable, updates to the stable release are simply not downloaded into the archive. So let's say a piece of software needs to be updated, after going through the stable release update process they are downloaded into a "suggested" pocket.

Example when you need to enable a "suggested" repository

Situation:

Current version of Linux Mint "Victoria" or "Green Linux" is installed - 21 based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
*The future version of Ubuntu 23.04 has not yet been released. There is a new component in version 23.04 that must be installed ahead of schedule in 22.04 LTS.
When the operating system starts the "Package Update" component, it writes about the presence of an update for the "python3-update-manager" package, which is not available in these repositories.

Detailed description of the problem:
Linux Green started showing an error
sudo apt upgrade Reading package lists... Done Building a dependency tree... Done Reading status information... Done Calculating updates... Done The following packages will be left unchanged: python3-update-manager 0 packages updated, 0 new packages installed, 0 packages marked for removal, and 1 package not updated.

The "suggested" repository is disabled by default in Linux Green.

The package is also not installed in the graphical program "Update Manager". See screenshot before article title.

Solution

0) Find out the code name of your distribution

lsb_release -cs

Version Compliance:

Mint	Ubuntu	No. Ubuntu
Sarah, Serena, Sonya, Sylvia	xenial	16.04
Tara, Tessa, Tina, Tricia	bionic	18.04
Ulyana, Ulyssa, Uma, Una	focal	20.04
Vanessa, Vera, Victoria	jammy	22.04

For Linux Mint, "victoria" was output - which corresponds to Ubuntu "jammy".

1) Created a file for the proposed repository of “suggested” updates:

nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu-proposed.list

To which I added the line:

deb http://ru.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-proposed restricted main universe multiverse

In the line I checked the value jammy, that it corresponds to the code base of my version of Green Linux.
Saved the file.

2) created a file /etc/apt/preferences.d/proposed-updates

nano /etc/apt/preferences.d/proposed-updates

And added the text to it:

#Configure apt to allow selective installs of packages from proposed
Package: *
Pin: release a=jammy-proposed
Pin-Priority: 400

And saved the file.

The "proposed-updates" file with Pin-Priority: 400 includes the import of updates only for critical updates of high-priority packages.

3) Updated the apt package cache:

apt update

At the same time it is visible. that the new repository is connected, because The terminal displays the following message:

Сущ:1 http://ru.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-proposed InRelease

4) Checked that new packages can be updated (simulation of update without installation)

apt list --upgradable

sudo apt upgrade -s

5) You can install packages one at a time (instead of sudo apt-get upgrade, which updates everything at once):

The first package was updated:

sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade python3-update-manager

The second package too.

sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade mintsources

6) In a graphics application "System" - "Update packages", there are no more new packages to install. The python3-update-manager package warning no longer occurs.

Result. All packages are up to date

Debian Suggested Update Repository

On the Debian operating system, packages will appear in the "proposed-updates" repository when developers upload the appropriate packages to it. If the main, live distribution is Debian Bookworm, its repository for suggested updates is installed on the system as follows:

1) Open the file for editing /etc/apt/sources.list

nano /etc/apt/sources.list

2) Add a line to it that will include proposed-updates - proposed updates:

if your system has non-free (closed source) components, add the line to receive suggested updates:

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-proposed-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

if you need components except for closed source firmware, add the line:

 deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-proposed-updates main contrib non-free

if you only need open source components, add the line:

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-proposed-updates main contrib

3) Perform a Debian update:

su -
apt update 
apt upgrade

Sources:

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