wpkg --force-hold ...

A package selection can be set to different values with --set-selection, one of which is Hold.

When a package is on hold it cannot be upgraded or downgraded1, unless you use the --force-hold option.

The hold is taken in account for all installation and removal actions. For any of those actions, a package selection of Hold requires a --force-hold or a change of selection before it can proceed. The functions that are affected are:

Note that the --upgrade is affected by the Hold status of a package, but it does not accept the --force-hold option which is why it is not in the list of installation and removal commands affected by the --force-hold option.

IMPORTANT NOTE

The --no-force-all, --refuse-all, --no-force-hold, --refuse-hold all cancel this feature whatever the position of the different options on the command line.

Special Usage: --compress and --decompress

The --compress and --decompress commands make use of the --force-hold option to request the command to keep the source file instead of deleting it once the commands successfully saved the result.

 
  • 1. Note that the --install still works if you re-install the same version of the package. This gives you a way to reset the files of the package. What is not possible is an upgrade (newer version) or downgrade (older version) because that could break other packages, hence the Hold selection.