HOWTO: Upgrade a VirtualBox Version on Debian

[hermes]

I' m running Debian Lenny and VirtualBox 2.1.4. installed with the package from sources.list.

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deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian lenny non-free

How can I upgrade the Virtualbox to the current version?

With "apt-get update && apt-get upgrade" there are no new updates installable.
I think this is due the different packages names. So I think I have to remove the old VirtualBox package and install the new VirtualBox package.
What is the preferred order to do this?

• First remove (or purge?) the old VirtualBox package
• Then install the new package
• Is there something afterwards to do?

I've nothing found about upgrading in the manual and the FAQs. Is there somewhere a description?

Thanks for any advice and telling about own experience with upgrading VBox on Debian!
Gerhard

[fixedwheel]

I think this is due the different packages names.

yes, virtualbox is the 1.x.y whereas virtualbox-2.0 virtualbox-2.1 virtualbox-2.2 are the 2.x.y series

the reason is probably that you dont get trapped by automatic upgrading once a new and maybe more buggy x.y+1.0 is released.
If you ran e.g. virtualbox-2.0.6 you would have got a 2.0.8 bugfix release but not a "beta quality" 2.1.0

So I think I have to remove the old VirtualBox package and install the new VirtualBox package.

IIRC there are package dependencies that remove the old package once you select the new one.

OTOH your order is right

• Is there something afterwards to do?

the first time you call the new virtualbox you may get prompted if you want to save the old settings, dont miss that

about own experience with upgrading VBox on Debian!

no problems with upgrading, using vbox since 1.3.x

[Sasquatch]

Fixedwheel, your explanation is really good, but the package named Virtualbox will not install a 1.x.y release, but the OSE version (which could be a 1.x release, but not the PUEL one). There used to be a repository for the 1.x releases, but after SUN took over, that was removed. Now there is no way to get a 1.x.y PUEL release using the repository.
And yes, there is a package conflict setting for the -2.2 on -2.1 and OSE. So selecting the latest to be installed, will automatically remove the previous major version, or OSE.

[fixedwheel]

but the package named Virtualbox will not install a 1.x.y release, but the OSE version

no, virtualbox 1.6.6 still is in the sun repo have a look: http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualb ... irtualbox/

you get OSE by selecting virtualbox-ose

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revo:~# dpkg -l virtualbox*
Gewünscht=Unbekannt/Installieren/R=Entfernen/P=Vollständig Löschen/Halten
| Status=Nicht/Installiert/Config/U=Entpackt/Fehlgeschl. Konfiguration/
         Halb installiert/Trigger erWartet/Trigger anhängig
|/ Fehler?=(kein)/Halten/R=Neuinst notw/X=beide (Status, Fehler: GROSS=schlecht)
||/ Name                       Version                    Beschreibung
+++-==========================-==========================-====================================================================
rc  virtualbox                 1.6.6-35336_Debian_lenny   Sun xVM VirtualBox
rc  virtualbox-2.0             2.0.6-39765_Debian_lenny   Sun xVM VirtualBox
rc  virtualbox-2.1             2.1.4-42893_Debian_lenny   Sun xVM VirtualBox
ii  virtualbox-2.2             2.2.4-47978_Debian_lenny   Sun VirtualBox
pn  virtualbox-ose             <keine>                    (keine Beschreibung vorhanden)
pn  virtualbox-ose-dbg         <keine>                    (keine Beschreibung vorhanden)
un  virtualbox-ose-guest-modul <keine>                    (keine Beschreibung vorhanden)
...

[Sasquatch]

Must be the difference between Debian and Ubuntu, as I don't have those other entries:

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dpkg -l virtualbox*
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Cfg-files/Unpacked/Failed-cfg/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name                                Version                             Description
+++-===================================-===================================-======================================================================================
un  virtualbox                          <none>                              (no description available)
ii  virtualbox-2.2                      2.2.4-47978_Ubuntu_jaunty           Sun VirtualBox

It all depends on which repo path you use. E.g. I still see 1.6.6 available for Ubuntu 7.10, but 9.04 doesn't have that. It doesn't even have 2.1, only 2.2.

[fixedwheel]

Must be the difference between Debian and Ubuntu, as I don't have those other entries:

you would have them if you ran an older Ubuntu than 9.04 (intrepid misses 1.6.6, hardy and older sees all)

IIRC the older vbox releases dont run on jaunty?


edit: now i remember, the 1.x virtualbox lenny release is from the time when lenny still was debian testing ...