Enable Community Repository
Alpine software repositories have main packages and contributions made. Each Alpine release have two brach of repositories. The /community repository of each Alpine release contains community supported packages that were accepted from the /testing repository. Only /main repository of each version of Alpine release are supported for some Main Alpine Developers and Man Powers.
- About the main packages: Main packages are the Alpine package software that have direct support and updates from the Alpine core and main team, also have official special documentation. Are always available for all releases and will have almost substitutions if some are not continued from upstream. Commonly those packages are selected due their responsibility and stability respect upstream availability. Those are in testing and when performs well or are mature goes to main branch.
- About the contribution ones: User package contribution repositories are those made by users in team with the official developers and well near integrated to the Alpine packages. Those have supported by those user contributions and could end if the user also ends respect with Alpine work, by example could not have substitution in next release due lack of support by upstream author. Those are in testing and when accepted goes to community branch.
- About the testing ones: New packages come into testing or edge repositories and are those made by any contributor or man power on Alpine, the edge, this branch of repository has no release linked or related of Alpine. Those are in edge and when accepted goes to testing.
For detailed information check Alpine_newbie APK section wiki page.
Usig community repositories of my release version
The community repository was introduced with Alpine Linux version 3.3. To enable the repository, edit the file /etc/apk/repositories using an editor (nano for instance) and add (or uncomment) a line that points to the "community" directory, formatted as in:
https://<mirror-server>/alpine/<version>/community
After enabling the community repository, one needs to obtain the latest index of available packages with:
apk update
For newer or newbie user please better use the enable_repository_packages of Alpine_newbie_apk_packages wiki page.
Using specific version from testing or another version
You can set "sticky" versions like this:
apk add packagename=1.2.3-suffixapk add 'packagename<1.2.3-suffix'
That will upgrade packages only until the specified version. You can then safely use apk upgrade to upgrade all packages, while packages with versions will remain with their version. To set a minimum version just use …
For newer or newbie user please better use the enable_repository_packages of Alpine_newbie_apk_packages wiki page.
Usig testing repositories of my release version
The testing repository was introduced with Alpine Linux edge development. To enable the repository, edit the file /etc/apk/repositories using an editor (nano for instance) and add a line that points to the "testing" directory, formatted as in:
https://<mirror-server>/alpine/edge/testing
After enabling the testing repository, one needs to obtain the latest index of available packages with:
apk update
Inexperienced users must do not enable this, is prefer to go to the enable_repository_packages of Alpine_newbie_apk_packages wiki page.
Using packages from testing (edge)
Never pin packages from the "edge" branch of the alpine package repo, as these are in test and may be revoked. (At pkgs.alpinelinux.org/packages, click "edge" and change it to the alpine image version you use, and click "search" again.)
Inexperienced users must do not enable this, is prefer to go to the enable_repository_packages of Alpine_newbie_apk_packages wiki page.
NOTES about using package versions
Pinning a package to an exact version carries the risk that the package will be dropped from the repo, and your Dockerfile will fail to build in the future. The official recommendation can be read here, citation below.
Alternately, you could simply set a minimum package version instead of an exact version.
We don't at the moment have resources to store all built packages indefinitely in our infra. Thus we currently keep only the latest for each stable branch, and has always been like that.