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I was wondering, for example, for the following http://packages.ubuntu.com/hardy/python/libapache2-mod-wsgi, the package is kind of outdated (version 1.3). I would like the package (version 2.5) from the 9.10 source. Is there anyway of doing that? Since 8.04 is LTS, i assume they would support it until 2011, does that mean they will update the packages?

Thanks a lot!

FurtiveFelon
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2 Answers2

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Generally, when you're on a stable/LTS release of Ubuntu the packages will only be patched for security vulnerabilities and bugs. Very rarely will you see an up-to-date version of any package finding it's way into LTS.

But if you need newer packages on a dedicated server running LTS, you have two options (one safe and one somewhat risky) -

  1. the safer option is to use backports; you can read up on backports at help.ubuntu.com[0] -- Backports are packages that are updated and tested to work in LTS without any serious problems.
  2. your other option is to use apt-pinning to bring in newer packages from Ubuntu-current (9.10 as of the time of writing). You can read up on apt-pinning (also) on help.ubuntu.com[1]

Keep in mind that apt-pinning generally requires you to install dependencies from Ubuntu-current, and occasionally the dependencies of those dependencies, etc. Sometimes it's not worth the headache, especially when you're a year and a half behind on packages.

[0] https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuBackports

[1] https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PinningHowto

Michael Pobega
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LTS means that what's already in the release will be supported for a long time, not that new versions will be rolled out. What you want is a backport; someone may have already backported what you want to Hardy, otherwise there are plenty of guides on the Googlewebs to tell you how to do it yourself.

womble
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