Hi Greg, thanks for the response. That makes sense and it makes it clear. So my way is also ok.
However, sometimes I added a package from unstable (mostly, because it was either broken in testing or only available in stable and unstable, but not testing), but (thumbs pressed) I had never problems with it, even when libraries got added or updated. But I will remember your advice for my customers, which run debian/stable. Again, thanks and have a nice week. Best Hans t> > If you are running testing, but occasionally need something from the > stable release, then this is fine. > > Analogously, if you are running stable, but occasionally need something > from oldstable, adding a deb line from the previous release is usually > fine. > > What is NOT fine is trying to do the reverse -- running stable but > desiring a package from a NEWER branch. Bringing in a package that > is compiled for testing or unstable will also bring in all of the > testing/unstable libraries that the package depends on and is linked > against, and will make a complete mess of everything. > > We call that resulting mess a Frankendebian. > > Use backports instead. That's what they're for. Backports are compiled > and linked using the stable libraries, so they don't bring in newer > libraries and break everything.
