bad update in 10.04 causes no start how to revert?

[dartdog]

After much pain I finally got a fairly good install of 10.04 (apparently due to my large disk earlier versions like 9.1 are a no go on my machine a Gateway mx6028 laptop with a new 160 gb drive.)

I bricked the machine several times applying the bulk auto updates after the initial install so this last time I applied the updates in smaller batches,, I believe the problem is associated with some of the open GL stuff,, any way to
A) go back one update??
and
B) anyway to permanently mark an update to never come in?

[klemes]

a. I don't think there is an easy or not even a hard way in most cases to go back once an update has been applied.

b.maybe you should google up apt-pinning for that purpose but what update could it be that which you definately don't want and why is that?

and c. note that most updates have dependencies that must be also satisfied so be very cautious when breaking up offered update packages into partial upgrades.

[dartdog]

Well the update I don't want is the one that is bricking my install
I believe it is the open GL updates..
I was successful in installing several hundred updates in blocks,, rebooting after each set then did that series and could no longer start up..
So I'd like to permanently remove them from the auto-update list.. as well as a bunch of other stuff I don't need like thai language support and various bluetooth things since my machine does not have as well as updates for all the graphics adapters my machine does not have..

[klemes]

The fact that you are offered an update means that you ALREADY have this particular package in your system taht is being updated.
So I cannot understand how an update (propably bug-fix or security update never mind )to an ALREADY installed package in your system can break your and only yours system without affecting the others.
Anyhow both the procedures of committing to a certain version of a package and removing packages from your system require the use of command-line and if you are not familiar with that you must leave it be for the moment.
But for answering your question there is no way once a specific package is installed in your system to not to be offered an update from update-manager once one such becomes available in the repositories.

[klemes]

The fact that you are offered an update means that you ALREADY have this particular package in your system that is being updated.
So I cannot understand how an update (probably bug-fix or security update never mind )to an ALREADY installed package in your system can break your and only yours system without affecting the others.
Anyhow both the procedures of committing to a certain version of a package and removing packages from your system require the use of command-line and if you are not familiar with that you must leave it be for the moment.
But for answering your question there is no way once a specific package is installed in your system to not to be offered an update from update-manager once one such becomes available in the repositories.

[dartdog]

Thank you for your reply,, I sure don't know why that particular update is crashing my machine but in fact it is.

I'm also not sure why I'm getting all the video drivers for radeon, ati and intel,, I only have intel... And I never asked for thai language packs! (even though I really like the Thai people...)

Further I would love a pointer to the un-install on packages (command line)

[dartdog]

There must be some "better" practices so I don't have to reformat everything when an update goes bad,, I'll be really risking my data??

So far for various reasons I'm going on 10+ installs 2 successful So I clearly need some better idea how to just do the OS/apps wo affecting data (once I get to using the system)