On 10/27/15, Stefan Monnier <[email protected]> wrote: > If I do > > aptitude update > > while my proxy is down (or when I'm offline), the previous package lists > are apparently gone, so after that, any aptitude command will tell me > things like: > > # aptitude install foo > E: The value 'testing' is invalid for APT::Default-Release as such a > release is not available in the sources > E: The value 'testing' is invalid for APT::Default-Release as such a > release is not available in the sources > # > > Of course, the obvious answer would be "don't do that", but the "update" > is also done automatically by unattended-updates, so I don't have complete > control over it. > > Why does it do that? How can I prevent it?
I can't answer your last question but my kneejerk reaction is that people fall offline all the time for every reason possible. A package that relies on online services to complete its task should abort with an error message indicating it cannot reach its target destination. In my ideal World, they retry a few times before "throwing in the towel" (before giving up completely). I went offline just now *just for You* to test apt-get. This is what I see here, on a regular basis by the way, that's how I know, GRIN: +++ Err http://ftp.us.debian.org sid InRelease Err http://ftp.us.debian.org sid Release.gpg Could not resolve 'ftp.us.debian.org' Reading package lists... Done W: Failed to fetch http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/dists/sid/InRelease W: Failed to fetch http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/dists/sid/Release.gpg Could not resolve 'ftp.us.debian.org' W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead. +++ And I quoteth: "or old ones used instead"......... aka apt-get's previous files were not flushed down the potty PRE-commencing the newest requested update. I've talked about it before because of a problem someone else had many weeks ago. Apt-get tosses partially completed download files into a temporary directory where those files stay until they're ready to be decompressed. The VERY LAST part of the process is that they then overwrite and/or become interwoven into the previous similar/same list files. Just thinking out loud. :) Cindy :) -- Cindy-Sue Causey Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia, USA * runs with duct tape *
