https://linuxeries.org/tags/debian/ Recent content in Debian on ShieldedBytes Hugo en Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:04:29 +0200 https://linuxeries.org/post/2026-06-09-taming-dependency-chaos-with-package-pinning-/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:04:29 +0200 https://linuxeries.org/post/2026-06-09-taming-dependency-chaos-with-package-pinning-/ <h2 id="introduction-to-package-pinning">Introduction to Package Pinning</h2> <p>I&rsquo;ve found package pinning to be a lifesaver on Debian-based systems, allowing you to specify the exact version of a package to install or keep. This is particularly useful when managing dependencies and avoiding potential conflicts or compatibility issues. I&rsquo;ve seen this go wrong when a package update breaks a critical application, so it&rsquo;s essential to have control over package versions.</p> <h2 id="understanding-package-pinning">Understanding Package Pinning</h2> <p>To pin a package, you&rsquo;ll need to create a file in the <code>/etc/apt/preferences.d/</code> directory with a <code>.pref</code> extension. This file should contain the package name and the desired version. For example, to pin the <code>nginx</code> package to version <code>1.23.4</code>, you would create a file called <code>nginx.pref</code> with the following contents:</p>