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Thread: Distribution Downgrade help

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Beans
    1

    Distribution Downgrade help

    I used this set of commands to attempt a downgrade from Debian 8 to debian 7.


    #revert to SystemV
    apt-get install sysvinit sysvinit-core sysvinit-utils
    cp /usr/share/sysvinit/inittab /etc/inittab
    reboot
    apt-get remove --purge --auto-remove systemd


    #Set apt-pinning to stick the version at Wheezy
    echo -e 'Package: systemdnpin: release o=DebiannPin: release *nPinPriority: -1' > /etc/apt/preferences.d/no-systemd


    #set /etc/apt/sources.list to Wheezy only
    echo 'deb http://example.redact/debian wheezy main contrib' > /etc/apt/sources.list
    echo 'deb http://example.redact/debian wheezy-updates main contrib' >> /etc/apt/sources.list
    echo 'deb http://example.redact/debian-security wheezy/updates main contrib' >> /etc/apt/sources.list


    #add below to /etc/apt/preferences to Apt-pin release level to wheezy
    echo 'Package:*' > /etc/apt/preferences
    echo 'Pin: release n=wheezy' >> /etc/apt/preferences
    echo 'Pin-Priority:1001' >> /etc/apt/preferences


    #kill apps
    killall -9 bb BBWD.pl rsyslogd




    #Run the apt command to pull the Wheezy package and Wheezy Dist
    apt-get update
    apt-get upgrade
    apt-get dist-upgrade
    # I had to run apt-get dist-upgrade -f a few times to get it to downgrade
    apt-get dist-upgrade -f


    #if downgrade fails, they need to be purged
    apt-get purge <failing package>


    #reinstall wheezy version after purging
    apt-get install <failing package>


    I added the failing packages to apt-get purge but every time I got everything added even more dependency issues would crop up. I then decided to zero out /var/lib/dpkg/status with previous settings saved to /var/lib/dpkg/status.old
    After this course of action I ran apt-get dist-upgrade and it failed at glibc and then any further input was met with a segmentation fault. Rebooting brought me to kernel panic when Init attempts to start up.
    Which unfortunately tells me that the install is borked.


    Where did I go wrong? Can I get a run through on the proper downgrade procedure?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Beans
    58,282

    Re: Distribution Downgrade help

    Thread moved to the "Debian" forum.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Tucson AZ, USA
    Beans
    1,051
    Distro
    Ubuntu

    Re: Distribution Downgrade help

    The only proper downgrade is a reinstall. Nothing else is supported as far as I know.

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