How can you unhold (remove a hold on) a package?

Question

I used synaptic to lock the version of pidgin-data - how can I change the status from hold back to normal, so that it gets upgraded properly?

The PinningHowto says that doing an apt-get install packagename should remove the hold, but running dpkg -l | grep ^h still shows it as held:

hi  pidgin-data                                                 1:2.10.6-0ubuntu1+pidgin1.12.04                            multi-protocol instant messaging client - data files

How can I properly undo the hold status?

sturlabragason · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-27T11:36:58.863

125

You can use sudo apt-mark unhold package_name. The package is unheld and it returns a confirmation: Canceled hold on package_name..

To unhold all held packages you can use sudo apt-mark unhold $(apt-mark showhold).

edited Feb 27 '21 at 11:36

answered Aug 24 '13 at 14:49

sturlabragason

1,645

1

Your sudo problem is probably because you wrote just sudo echo "package_name install"|dpkg --set-selections. This sudoes the echo but not the following pipe, hence the access error. Try this instead: sudo -E -- sh -c 'echo "package_name install"|dpkg --set-selections'. This sudoes a sub-shell whose command line is echo "package_name install"|dpkg --set-selections. – Urhixidur Sep 29 '14 at 14:24
1

My answer was somewhat related to the unedited version of the answer here below which previously included exactly the command I referenced.
However the question specifically uses apt-get as an example and that is why I answered using apt-mark which is included in the apt package.

It is however very helpful to know exactly why the dpkg commands were not working.
– sturlabragason Dec 16 '14 at 20:35
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@DrA7 package_name was already not hold. What should I do now? – Dr.jacky Jan 30 '16 at 10:25
1

I had the same problem as @Dr.jacky, but when I try to apt upgrade it still tells me the same packages are being kept back! – Michael Oct 22 '20 at 23:52

score 19 · Answer 2 · edited May 13 '20 at 10:59

19

To unhold all held packages, use this command:

apt-mark unhold $(apt-mark showhold)

edited May 13 '20 at 10:59

Melebius

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answered Jan 30 '20 at 18:10

Izunna Calvin DIke

191

jasmines · Answer 3 · 2013-10-16T09:51:36.547

15

The correct way to remove the hold should be:

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

edited Oct 16 '13 at 09:51

answered Jul 17 '12 at 08:28

jasmines

11,011

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered May 10 '19 at 20:59

3

Unhold a single package named $package_name:

echo $package_name install | dpkg --set-selections

Unhold all packages that are currently held:

dpkg --get-selections | grep hold | awk '{ print $1, "install" }' | dpkg --set-selections

answered May 10 '19 at 20:59

Earl Ruby

735

score 3 · Answer 5 · answered May 22 '19 at 16:39

3

You can unhold all APT packages with:

apt-mark showhold | awk '{ print $1, "install" }' | dpkg --set-selections

answered May 22 '19 at 16:39

panticz

1,718

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Another way is apt-mark showhold | xargs sudo apt-mark unhold. – Gautam Sreekumar Mar 09 '22 at 17:07

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 17 '12 at 08:28

1

Run echo pidgin-data install | dpkg --set-selections (replace pidgin-data with the held package name) - this will change the package status to install rather than hold.

answered Jul 17 '12 at 08:28

David Fraser

1,717

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Jul 11 '22 at 09:41

None of the answer worked for me, as the packages simply could not be upgraded because of unmet dependencies.

I had to remove some packages. I've followed this blog post instructions to figure out which one causes problems:

apt-get -o Debug::pkgProblemResolver=yes dist-upgrade

How can you unhold (remove a hold on) a package?

7 Answers7

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