Understanding Prioritization

[Eli Wapniarski]

On Wednesday, 21 בDecember 2005 22:22, Gustavo Niemeyer wrote:
> Hi Eli,
>
> [...]
>
> > I really hope smart will handle this the way I'm expecting. I really
> > want to get past the impending disappearance of apt-get for RPMs. :(
>
> Before trying to make it work exactly the way you'd expect it,
> I'd really appreciate if you could try the way it was designed
> to work.
>
> The example below is a nice test.
>
> > APT-GET REPOS AND PRIORITIES
> > kde-redhat repos 999
> > freshrpms           998
> > fc4's                   default
> >
> > APT-GET UPDATE UPGRADE PRODUCES
> > The following packages will be upgraded
> >    fetchmail (6.2.5.4-1.fc4 => 6.2.5.5-1.fc4)
> >    kdegraphics (3.5.0-1.4.fc4.kde => 3.5.0-2.1.fc4.kde)
> >    kdegraphics-devel (3.5.0-1.4.fc4.kde => 3.5.0-2.1.fc4.kde)
> >    libmusicbrainz (2.1.2-0.1.fc4.kde => 2.1.2-0.2.fc4.kde)
> >    libmusicbrainz-devel (2.1.2-0.1.fc4.kde => 2.1.2-0.2.fc4.kde)
> >    mysql (4.1.15-1.FC4.1 => 4.1.16-1.FC4.1)
> >    mysql-bench (4.1.15-1.FC4.1 => 4.1.16-1.FC4.1)
> >    mysql-devel (4.1.15-1.FC4.1 => 4.1.16-1.FC4.1)
> >    mysql-server (4.1.15-1.FC4.1 => 4.1.16-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-contrib (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-devel (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-docs (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-libs (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-pl (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-python (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-server (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-tcl (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    postgresql-test (8.0.4-2.FC4.1 => 8.0.5-1.FC4.1)
> >    xmms-mp3 (1.2.10-0.lvn.3.4 => 1.2.10-13.2.fc4
> >
> >
> > SMART REPOS AND PRIORITIES
> > kde-redhat  0
> > freshrpms  -1
> > fc4's          -5
> >
> > SMART UPDATE UPGRADE PRODUCES
> > Upgrading packages (4):
> >   kdegraphics-7:3.5.0-2.1.fc4.kde at i386
> >   kdegraphics-devel-7:3.5.0-2.1.fc4.kde at i386
> >   libmusicbrainz-2.1.2-0.2.fc4.kde at i386
> >   libmusicbrainz-devel-2.1.2-0.2.fc4.kde at i386
>
> Notice that the APT transaction above is much more expensive than
> the transaction below. As I told you, Smart considers the
> priority *difference* in certain occasions. Can you please try
> to increase the difference of these repositories to reflect what
> you want to happen? 1 and 5 priority points is not really a
> difference big enough to change the transaction above the way you
> expect.
>
> Please, let me know how it goes.

What kind of spread are we talking about? Nothing as yet has been explained 
very weill? The numbers themselves are not positive but negative numbers (as 
suggested by the FAQ). I have put the priorities negative numbers leaving the 
top kde-redhat repos at default that is, priority 0 (as suggested by the 
FAQ). 

So. again the kde-redhat as priority 0, Freshrpms as -1 (negative 1) and fc4 
repos at (-5). Could please suggest appropriate values.

Eli