Merge branch 'prefs-precedence' into 'main'

apt_preferences(5): Specify the order in which files are parsed

See merge request apt-team/apt!416

1 files changed, 14 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml b/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
index d1047e1e9..6e4e321cd 100644
--- a/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
+++ b/doc/apt_preferences.5.xml
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ together with other packages from different releases.
 You have been warned.</para>
 
 <para>Note that the files in the <filename>/etc/apt/preferences.d</filename>
-directory are parsed in alphanumeric ascending order and need to obey the
+directory need to obey the
 following naming convention: The files have either no or "<literal>pref</literal>"
 as filename extension and only contain alphanumeric, hyphen (-),
 underscore (_) and period (.) characters.
@@ -72,6 +72,19 @@ Otherwise APT will print a notice that it has ignored a file, unless that
 file matches a pattern in the <literal>Dir::Ignore-Files-Silently</literal>
 configuration list - in which case it will be silently ignored.</para>
 
+<para><filename>/etc/apt/preferences</filename>
+is parsed first,
+followed by the files in
+<filename>/etc/apt/preferences.d</filename>
+in lexicographic order.
+For example,
+<filename>/etc/apt/preferences.d/00-high-priority.pref</filename>,
+<filename>/etc/apt/preferences.d/50-mid-priority</filename>
+and
+<filename>/etc/apt/preferences.d/z-low-priority.pref</filename>
+would be parsed in that order.
+</para>
+
 <refsect2><title>APT's Default Priority Assignments</title>
 
 <para>If there is no preferences file or if there is no entry in the file