Build (backport) an newer Ubuntu package to run on an older Ubuntu version

[F-3582]

EDIT: Never mind. prevu-update did the trick.

I have a problem, too. Prevu fails on anything that even remotely depends on Firefox preducing 404 errors whenever it tries to download it. This concerns VLC and Liferea, as of now, but I'm sure that there might be more cases. The terminal outputs the following:

Err http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main firefox 2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1
  404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.45 80]
Err http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main firefox-dev 2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1
  404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.45 80]
Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/f/firefox/firefox_2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1_i386.deb  404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.45 80]
Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/f/firefox/firefox-dev_2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1_i386.deb  404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.45 80]
Fetched 1233kB in 4s (290kB/s)
E: Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-get update or try with --fix-missing?
 -> Trying to fix apt error

*snip*

0 upgraded, 142 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 12.4MB/52.1MB of archives.
After unpacking 191MB of additional disk space will be used.
Err http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main firefox 2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1
  404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.46 80]
Err http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy-updates/main firefox-dev 2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1
  404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.46 80]
Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/f/firefox/firefox_2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1_i386.deb  404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.46 80]
Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/f/firefox/firefox-dev_2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1_i386.deb  404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.88.46 80]
E: Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-get update or try with --fix-missing?
E: Unrecoverable error installing build-dependencies.

*snip*

Prevu Error: Build failed.

Notice the requested package by prevu (2.0.0.8) is three version numbers behind the actually installed package (2.0.0.11). Go figure...

Also note that I have firefox and firefox-dev already installed.

[ubuntubrian]

I want to backport the latest Gnash player. I get a unresolved dependency:

-> Considering dpkg-dev (>= 1.13.19)
Tried versions: 1.13.11ubuntu7 1.13.11ubuntu6
-> Does not satisfy version, not trying
E: Could not satisfy build-dependency.

So I tried backporting dpkg-dev which has its own dependency problem:

Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that
the package is simply not installable and a bug report against
that package should be filed.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
debhelper: Depends: dpkg-dev (>= 1.13.13) but 1.13.11ubuntu7 is to be installed
E: Broken packages
E: Could not satisfy build-dependency.


I backported successfully debhelper and it is in my synaptic listed packages but I can't install it because, from synaptic:

debhelper:
Depends: dpkg-dev (>=1.13.13) but 1.13.11ubuntu7 is to be installed


So I guess I have a circular dependency? Any ideas?

Thanks

[ubuntubrian]

this may be due to the fact that Firefox-2.0 will not build on your version, if it's Dapper. I know that afterDapper Firefoxwas rebuilt at 2.0 version and many other packages depend on it yet it cannot be backported itself. I built it from source but only as a browser not in my PATH so that no other software links to it. Hope this is a help

[wog]

Is there a reason why the version of prevu available on sourceforge is 0.4.1, but the version I can get from Synaptic is 0.4.3?

...might want to update sourceforge at some point.

[jdong]

Is there a reason why the version of prevu available on sourceforge is 0.4.1, but the version I can get from Synaptic is 0.4.3?

...might want to update sourceforge at some point.

Sorry, I've been keeping Sourceforge horribly up to date, mostly because SF's release mechanism is just about the most painful one I've ever used.

The real one should be branched from https://code.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-b...ters/prevu/dev

I recommend following that bzr branch for my latest developments -- the stuff I check into there is usually stable and ready to push into Hardy anyway.

Also, since prevu is python, it's safe to install the deb from Hardy on Gutsy.

[F-3582]

Or just run "prevu prevu"

[wog]

While I'm at it, why is it the first section of the Backports page at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuBackports tells you why, how and where, but doesn't actually ever tell you *what* backports are??

Does anyone actually know what they are?

Can backports built by other people be accessed somewhere, or do we have to build them ourselves?

[F-3582]

The wiki explains it in some tech language, yes. If you really care to know, backports are programs ported from a newer version of an operating system than you are using (e.g. from Hardy to Gutsy or drom Hardy to Dapper). This becomes necessary for some packages, because their versions won't get updated after the Feature Freeze kicks in (usually some two months before the actual release of the distribution), but they are still worth updating, anyway.

Anyone can backport programs with Prevu and if you like to make these available for everyone, just notify the Ubuntu Backports team that your build of package x was succesful. They'll add the program to the backports repository for you.

[wog]

Okay, now I understand why they're called 'backports' then.

So if one is using the most up-to-date version of Ubuntu, one won't actually need to use prevu unless something is updated within that six-month gap, or whenever the version updates, right?

Backporting is a completely new concept for me. I'm just trying to make sure I understand it completely.

Can later versions of Ubuntu deal with packages intended for earlier versions of Ubuntu, or will those packages need to be 'Frontported'?

[jdong]

So if one is using the most up-to-date version of Ubuntu, one won't actually need to use prevu unless something is updated within that six-month gap, or whenever the version updates, right?

Right -- backports are for people who absolutely demand newer software than what's available with the current Ubuntu release. You're basically grabbing pieces of the development (alpha) distribution Hardy and building it against Gutsy or whatever you're running.

Unless there's some big reason why you want the newest piece of software so soon, it's probably better on yourself just to sit back and let the next Ubuntu release do that work for you


The Backports Project that manages the backports *repositories* (gutsy-backports) has precompiled and tested the most popularly requested and "safe" backports, so you don't have to build them yourself. Some people like to keep that repository enabled so that they can get the latest software trickling in when developers feel they're stable enough for general usage. Mission-critical or other stability conscious systems probably should not use backports, as they are not tested as heavily as the software that ships with your stable release.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuBackports has the most in-depth explanation of what backports are.