apt-get dist-upgrade vs apt-get full-upgrade

[s3a]

I heard that from now on apt-get full-upgrade must be used instead of apt-get dist-upgrade in order to upgrade from one version of Debian to another. Is this true? Why?

[Telemachus]

Where did you "hear" this? You make it sound like these are two different commands in apt-get. Is that what you mean? Aptitude has been using new command names: full-upgrade and safe-upgrade for awhile now. I could imagine apt-get switching names as well, but I'm using Lenny, so I don't know about newer versions of apt-get.

In any case, the reason for Aptitude's name-switch, I think, is that dist-grade was always a bit confusing. You don't only use that command to upgrade from one branch of Debian to another. The name-change is clearer (even if it does require more typing - but that's why the Unix gods invented aliases).

[BioTube]

apt-get doesn't support aptitude neologisms. I highly doubt aptitude itself will drop the correct names, however - that's really more work than it's worth.

[Telemachus]

I highly doubt aptitude itself will drop the correct names, however

So in your language, when you say 'correct', you (sometimes, at least) mean 'incorrect'. Fascinating.

[BioTube]

I say 'correct' because 1)'safe-upgrade's can still bork your system and 2)they weren't created a couple of years ago for a package manager with no way to surgically remove packages.