MX-Package-Installer is unable to load packages from stretch-backports [Solved]

[HumptyDumpty]

Hi,

I've searched the forum but couldn't find a suitable thread.

I had been a Debian user before I came to MX (I'm not in favor of systemd...) and now I'm a happy MX user since MX 17. I've registered to this forum to ask a question whether anyone has encountered that mx-package-installer isn't able to load stretch-backports' package list? I know MX's Test repo offers a similar funcionality but I'm curious what they've packaged into backports and was expecting I could use MX's in house tool for that, since it offers this option. All other given choices for repositories are working.

Manually enabling Debian's backports in mx-repo-manager is not working. I found that in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list the stretch-backports entry had two comment signs which I thought might prevent mx-package-installer from temporarily enabling the repo. Uncommenting didn't work. MX-Package-Installer still couldn't load the package list. However after uncommenting the backports line in debian.list apt-cache search -t stretch-backports "package-name" (place-holder) worked as expected.

I'm on a Lenovo Thinkpad X230 with an in-place upgrade from MX 17 to 18. My Desktop is XFCE. Recently I had installed a complete KDE Plasma, which I have completely removed again (apt-get purged it and deleted all traces in my /home) since it wasn't my cup of tea. Using MX17's mx-package-installer the problem did not occur.

I'm glad if anybody may lead me to a solution to this actually minor problem.

[dolphin_oracle]

you might be hitting a time out while loading the list. IIRC its 30 seconds. we've seen this before when the debian cdn gets slow.

[Stevo]

MXPI temporarily removes those comment hash marks while using the backports and test repos, so it's OK to leave them.

What package were you looking for from backports? MXPI doesn't show lib and -dev packages unless you disable the hiding, in order to reduce clutter in the listing.

[sivaraj]

I reported this issue in this thread.
viewtopic.php?p=471438#p471438
This problem still persists.
If using synaptic package manager with stretch-backports enabled it loads package list fine .
You need to enable disable every time to avoid unwanted package updates.
The MXPI does not do well only with downloading stretch-backports package list.
With several retry it will load occasionally .

[asqwerth]

I don't have issues with MXPI. Was just searching the Debian backports last night using MXPI. The loading of package lists was fine, although it took slightly longer than Test Repo.

[philotux]

No problem here either. But as mentioned by asqwerth, Debian backports loads somewhat slower.

[HumptyDumpty]

Hi,

I was thinking it could be a timeout problem, but I wasn't sure if it made sense because synaptic and apt on a terminal had no problems.

What I thought was possible, is that it was a problem specific to mx-pi IF you're in a location where the debian-mirror is slower. Some people have no issues at all so I don't think it's a problem with the program itself but maybe with the way the program communicates with the debian-mirror.

@stevo: I wasn't looking for anything in particular, I just wanted to use mx-pi to browse through backports ^^

Thanks you all, HumptyDumpty

[sivaraj]

It looks the problem is fixed .
After recent updates now loading stretch-backports packages works fine with MxPI

[HumptyDumpty]

Unfortunately the problem persists for me with the newest version. It's not a mayor problem, so I'll try and fiddle around and if I hit a solution, I'll post it here, so anybody else, who is still affected, can use it :-)

Bye, Humpty

[Richard]

Is the Timeout exposed in the config?

I'm using cellular Hotspot to connect which is sometimes kind of like dial-up. Not a problem but there is a possibility.