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To stop routine upgrades of an installed package, use the control provided by your distribution’s package manager: apt-mark hold on Debian or Ubuntu, DNF’s versionlock plugin on supported DNF systems, or pacman’s IgnorePkg setting on Arch Linux. These controls are not interchangeable. In particular, APT pinning changes package-selection priorities; it is not simply another name for holding a package. Identify your distribution and package manager before running a command, then review the proposed transaction and remove the restriction when you are ready to update.
First decide what “pin a package” means
Linux users use “pin” to describe more than one package-management behavior. If you want to keep an installed package from changing during routine upgrades, you need a hold, lock, or ignore rule. If you want the package manager to prefer a particular package version or repository, you need version selection or repository-priority rules instead.
The difference matters. A restriction on routine upgrades can leave a package behind while the rest of the system changes. A priority rule can cause the package manager to choose a different candidate, potentially from another source. Neither is a universal Linux setting: the command and its effect depend on the distribution and package manager.
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- Keep an installed package unchanged during ordinary upgrade operations: use an APT hold, DNF versionlock, or pacman ignore rule as appropriate.
- Influence which version or repository APT selects: use APT preferences, commonly called pinning. This is a policy for candidate selection, not a simple freeze switch.
- Skip an update only for one operation: use a one-time option where the package manager supports one, such as pacman’s
--ignore.
These methods do not make a package immutable or guarantee that every tool and every explicit administrator action will honor the restriction. Treat the restriction as a package-manager rule to inspect and manage, not as a security boundary.
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Choose the method for your distribution
| System | Control | What it does | How to inspect or remove it | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian or Ubuntu using APT | apt-mark hold |
Requests that an installed package remain at its current version and status during ordinary APT operations. | apt-mark showhold; remove a hold with apt-mark unhold. |
APT provides --ignore-hold, so a hold can be overridden. APT preferences are a separate candidate-priority mechanism. |
| DNF-based distribution | DNF versionlock plugin |
Filters versions available to transaction operations according to versionlock rules. | dnf versionlock list; remove a rule with dnf versionlock delete. |
The plugin’s availability, package name, and command details can vary by distribution and release. Check that system’s current DNF documentation. |
| Arch Linux using pacman | IgnorePkg in /etc/pacman.conf, or one-time --ignore |
Skips a named package in the relevant upgrade operation. | Edit or remove the IgnorePkg entry; for a one-time skip, omit --ignore next time. |
Arch warns that partial upgrades are unsupported. Ignoring updates should not become routine maintenance. |
Debian and Ubuntu: hold an installed package
For a straightforward request to keep a currently installed package from routine APT upgrades, use apt-mark hold. Debian’s FAQ describes a hold as the user’s request to keep a package at its current version and status. Ubuntu Server documentation identifies APT as the recommended command-line package tool for Debian packages on Ubuntu.
Apply and verify the hold
- Identify the package name. Use the package’s actual package-manager name, not necessarily the product name shown in its application menu or documentation. If you are unsure, check your installed-package records or the package’s documentation before proceeding.
- Set the hold:
sudo apt-mark hold package_name. Replacepackage_namewith the package you intend to hold. - Inspect holds: run
apt-mark showhold. Confirm that the intended package appears in the output. - Review the next APT transaction before accepting it. Check which packages APT proposes to install, upgrade, or remove. A hold does not remove the need to understand the transaction or its dependency effects.
For example, the command pattern is sudo apt-mark hold package_name; the literal text package_name is a stand-in, not a package name to copy unchanged. A hold is useful when a particular installed package is causing a regression or must remain at its current state temporarily while you investigate. Record why you applied it so you can reassess it rather than forgetting that updates are being deferred.
Remove the hold when you are ready
Use sudo apt-mark unhold package_name to remove the rule for that package. Then confirm the result with apt-mark showhold. Removing the hold does not itself establish that an update is available or install one; it removes this restriction so a later APT operation can consider the package normally.
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A hold is intended to affect ordinary APT operations, not to prevent every possible change under all circumstances. Debian’s apt-get manual documents the --ignore-hold option, which tells apt-get to disregard package holds. An administrator can therefore explicitly request behavior that overrides the hold. Do not treat the presence of a hold as proof that a package cannot change.
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Also distinguish an APT hold from a pin. The hold marks an installed package to remain unchanged. APT preferences assign priorities to packages or repositories, influencing which candidate APT selects. A priority policy is appropriate when the goal is to select from a particular package source or version, not merely to pause routine updates of one installed package.
APT pinning: adjust candidate priorities, not just freeze a package
APT pinning uses preferences and priorities to affect package selection. It can be useful when you need APT to prefer a package from a particular repository or to make one candidate more or less attractive. Because it changes candidate selection, a pin is a broader and more consequential policy than a simple hold.
Do not copy a preference-file example without checking that it matches your distribution release, configured repositories, and intended package-selection outcome. Priority behavior is consequential, and there is no safe generic preference snippet for every Debian or Ubuntu installation. Debian specifically cautions that compatibility is usually not guaranteed when mixing releases. If non-stable repositories are added alongside stable, Debian says they should be assigned lower priorities. That is a reason to plan repository priorities deliberately, not to add another distribution’s repository casually.
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- Use preferences when you understand the available candidates and want to influence which version or repository APT chooses.
- Avoid mixing archives without a compatibility plan. A priority setting affects selection; it does not make packages from different releases compatible.
If you cannot clearly state which candidate you want APT to choose and why, do not experiment with a pinning rule on a system you depend on. First review the configured sources and the package-management documentation for the exact release, then inspect the proposed transaction before confirming it.
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DNF-based systems: constrain versions with versionlock
DNF’s versionlock is a plugin, rather than a universal feature that can be assumed to exist on every DNF installation. The plugin filters which package versions are available for transaction operations. Its documented interface includes commands to add, inspect, and delete locks, as well as exclude and clear. An add rule normally resolves a package specification to concrete package versions; raw mode permits a broader version pattern.
Check whether the plugin is available
Before relying on versionlock, consult the current DNF documentation for your distribution and release. DNF documents that the plugin can be installed using the dnf-command(versionlock) provide, but the exact installable package name and plugin availability are distribution-specific. Do not assume that an installation command for one DNF-based system applies to another.
Add, inspect, and remove a lock
The conceptual workflow is:
- Add a rule:
dnf versionlock add package_name. - List the rules:
dnf versionlock list. Confirm that the intended package and version constraint are represented as expected. - Remove a rule:
dnf versionlock delete package_name.
These commands illustrate the documented interface; verify the exact syntax and package specification accepted by the version of the plugin installed on your system. In particular, understand whether the added rule resolves to concrete versions or uses a broader pattern before you rely on it to permit or block future versions. The plugin’s documentation also describes exclude and clear; check the local command help or release-specific documentation before using those operations, especially if more than one lock is configured.
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After changing a lock, inspect the transaction DNF proposes before confirming it. A version constraint can affect dependency resolution, and the desired package may interact with other packages in the transaction. If a lock appears not to have the intended effect, first verify that the plugin is installed and enabled, that the rule listed is the rule you meant to add, and that you are using syntax supported by your distribution’s plugin version.
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Arch Linux: ignore a package with pacman
Arch Linux offers a persistent ignore setting and a one-operation alternative. ArchWiki documents adding a package name to the [options] section of /etc/pacman.conf:
[options]
IgnorePkg=package_nameUse the actual package name in place of package_name, and preserve the file’s existing configuration. To stop ignoring the package, edit the setting to remove that name. If your configuration contains other ignored packages, do not delete the entire setting without checking it; remove only the entry you intend to change.
Skip an update once instead
For a one-time skip, pacman also has a --ignore option. Specify the package for the particular operation rather than adding a persistent configuration rule. On the next operation, if you do not supply the ignore option, that one-time exception is no longer in effect.
Why Arch’s partial-upgrade warning matters
Arch warns that partial upgrades are unsupported. Skipping a package while updating other parts of the system can leave the package set in an unsupported state. For that reason, an ignore rule is not a general recommendation to leave one package behind indefinitely while continuing routine system updates. If you must defer a package because of a regression, understand the consequences for the rest of the system and revisit the decision promptly.
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ArchWiki also notes that an ignored package can still be explicitly upgraded with pacman -S, which prompts a reminder. The ignore setting is therefore not an absolute block against an explicit package operation.
Delay an update without losing track of it
A package restriction is most useful when it solves a specific, temporary problem: for example, a known regression that you need time to investigate. The sources do not establish a universal maximum safe delay, so a fixed number of days would be misleading. The right interval depends on the package, the reason for the delay, and the dependency and security implications on your system.
- Write down the reason. Note the package and the issue that led you to defer its update. This gives you a concrete condition to check later, rather than a vague intention to “update eventually.”
- Use the narrowest suitable control. Prefer a one-time skip if you only need to defer one operation and your package manager supports it. Use a persistent hold, lock, or ignore rule when the restriction needs to remain in place across ordinary transactions.
- Inspect the package-manager transaction. Review the packages to be changed and any dependency consequences before you accept an operation. A version restriction does not make a transaction safe by itself.
- Reassess when the underlying issue changes. Check whether a corrected update is available or the reason for the restriction has ended. Remove the rule and allow the package manager to consider the package again when it is appropriate.
Avoid turning a package-specific workaround into a blanket decision to disable security updates. The purpose of a temporary restriction is to manage a particular issue, not to abandon maintenance for the rest of the system.
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Troubleshoot a rule that does not behave as expected
The package still appears in an upgrade plan
Confirm that you used the correct package manager and package name, then inspect the configured rule using that manager’s supported command or configuration. For APT, check apt-mark showhold. For DNF, check dnf versionlock list and confirm that the plugin is available. For pacman, inspect the [options] section of /etc/pacman.conf or check that the one-time --ignore option was supplied to the operation in question. Review whether the operation explicitly overrides or bypasses the rule.
The package manager proposes related changes
Do not approve a transaction solely because the target package is held or locked. Read the complete proposed changes and consider the dependency effects. If the outcome is unclear, stop and consult the documentation for the exact distribution and package-manager version rather than trying additional priority or ignore rules blindly.
You need to resume updates
Remove the control using the same mechanism that created it: apt-mark unhold for an APT hold, dnf versionlock delete for a DNF lock, or an edit to IgnorePkg for a persistent pacman ignore. A one-time pacman ignore requires no persistent cleanup; leave that option out of the next operation. Verify the restriction is gone before assuming the package manager will treat the package normally.
What this guide does not cover
Package-management commands are distribution-specific. This guide covers APT holds and preferences for Debian and Ubuntu, DNF versionlock on systems where the plugin is supported, and pacman ignores on Arch Linux. It does not give procedures for other package managers because their equivalent controls and current behavior depend on their own distribution documentation. Do not translate one of these commands to a different package manager by analogy.
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