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I've searched unsuccessfully for a method to list all of the upgrades available from Debian's backports (specifically bullseye-backports):

  • I've added deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports main contrib non-free to /etc/apt/sources.list.

  • I've run sudo apt update successfully

  • I've run sudo apt list --upgradeable bullseye-backports with an "empty" result

  • I've run sudo apt list --upgradeable -t bullseye-backports; got an error

  • I've run sudo apt -t bullseye-backports upgrade; I get a list of NEW packages to be installed, and a list of EXISTING packages to be upgraded, and a [Y/n] option to proceed with the entire lot.

Is there no way to simply list the upgrade-able packages from bullseye-backports?

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aptitude can list all upgradeable packages, including candidates from backports:

aptitude -t bullseye-backports search '~U'

If you want to see only upgrades from backports, add an archive filter:

aptitude -t bullseye-backports search '~U~Abullseye-backports'

Note that backports aren’t tested together, so as a general rule it’s best to only upgrade packages you really need from backports. You shouldn’t try to actually apply anything equivalent to apt -t bullseye-backports upgrade. (I’m not suggesting that’s what you’re thinking of doing, but other readers might not realise that this isn’t recommended.)

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  • Your statement "best to only upgrade packages you really need from backports" was prescient! Please see my next question. I thought the udev upgrade would be "safe", but I guess I was wrong! Commented Apr 9, 2024 at 8:18

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