How to Exclude Packages from Apt-Get Upgrade in Ubuntu

Managing updates on your Ubuntu system is important to keep everything running smoothly. Sometimes, you might want to keep certain software packages at their current versions and not let them update. This is called excluding packages from upgrades.

In this guide, we will show you how to stop specific packages from being updated using the apt-get upgrade command. Even if you are new to Ubuntu or computers in general, don’t worry! We will explain everything in easy steps so you can follow along. By the end, you’ll know how to keep certain packages from updating, which can help keep your system stable and working just the way you like it.

• How to Exclude Specific Packages from Yum Update

Commands to Exclude Packages from Upgrade

To stop specific Debian packages from updating, use these commands. This will prevent the chosen packages from being automatically or manually updated.

• Using apt

  sudo apt-mark hold package_name
  

• Using dpkg

  echo "package_name hold" | sudo dpkg --set-selections
  

• Using aptitude

  sudo aptitude hold package_name
  

Replace package_name with the actual name of the package you want to hold.

List All Packages on Hold

You can check which packages are on hold at any time. Use this command to see all the packages that are set to hold.

sudo dpkg --get-selections | grep "hold"

Re-enable (Unhold) Package Upgrade

If you need to update a package that is on hold, you must unhold it first. Use one of these commands to unhold a package.

• Using apt

  sudo apt-mark unhold package_name
  

• Using dpkg

  echo "package_name install" | sudo dpkg --set-selections
  

• Using aptitude

  sudo aptitude unhold package_name
  

Now, the unheld packages will be updated with `apt upgrade` or unattended upgrades.

Conclusion

By using these commands, you can easily control which packages get updated on your Ubuntu system. This helps keep your system stable by preventing updates to certain packages. Whether you use `apt`, `dpkg`, or `aptitude`, managing package upgrades becomes simple. Remember, you can always check which packages are on hold and unhold them if needed. This way, you have full control over your system’s updates.