Score:1

how do I reverse an unwanted upgrade to new software version?

in flag

I installed a version of simulation software Gromacs - version 2019.4 to make this compatible with an external computer. Around two weeks later I checked the version (gmx --version) and it was now version 2020.1 (2020.1-Ubuntu-2020.1-1). I wasn't notified or asked whether i wanted to upgrade the version - it just happened! it's useless now since the set up files prepared on my computer don't run on the external computer due to version incompatibility. Can I reverse this? Do I need to reinstall the previous version again? if I do this how do i stop this happening again??


The output of apt-cache policy gromacs is:

gromacs: 
  Installed: 2020.1-1 
  Candidate: 2020.1-1 
  Version table: *** 
    2020.1-1 500 500 gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 Packages 
    100 /var/lib/dpkg/status 

and which gmx gives: /usr/bin/gmx

N0rbert avatar
zw flag
How did you installed both versions of Gromacs? What is your Ubuntu version? What is the output of `apt-cache policy gromacs` and `which gmx` ?
Chris Dempsey avatar
in flag
Thanks Norbert - My Ubuntu version is Ubuntu 20.04. I downloaded Gromacs 2019.4 from the Gromacs site - I didn't download version 2020.1. The output of "apt-cache policy gromacs" is:gromacs: Installed: 2020.1-1 Candidate: 2020.1-1 Version table: *** 2020.1-1 500 500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status and "which gmx" gives; /usr/bin/gmx
Score:0
zw flag

To access older locally installed version of Gromacs you have to remove deb-packaged version by

sudo apt-get autopurge gromacs

and then try to find the executables of 2019.4. Maybe add it to $PATH variable or create a symlink to it in /usr/local/bin.

Chris Dempsey avatar
in flag
OK thanks N0rbert - I'll have a think about that and try it out. I can imagine getting in a mess with this but I can always re-download and install version 2019.4 (though would be nice to be confident that the same automatic upgrade won't happen again!)
user535733 avatar
cn flag
Gromacs is in the Universe (not Main) pocket, and had no security patches. Therefore it would not have been picked up by Unattended Upgrades using it's default settings. Perhaps a human changed those settings. Or a human ran the update, and ignored that gromacs was on the list of packages to be upgraded. Or perhaps the package has been there longer than you think.
Chris Dempsey avatar
in flag
thanks user535733, On reflection I suspect that you are right and that I (I'm the only "human" using the workstation at the mo!) didn't notice that gromacs was on the list of packages to be upgraded. I've only just changed OS from Centos to Ubuntu a couple of months ago and not completely familiar with it... Prbly easier for me to reinstall the version i need and be careful with upgrades in future
mangohost

Post an answer

Most people don’t grasp that asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding. In Alison’s studies, for example, though people could accurately recall how many questions had been asked in their conversations, they didn’t intuit the link between questions and liking. Across four studies, in which participants were engaged in conversations themselves or read transcripts of others’ conversations, people tended not to realize that question asking would influence—or had influenced—the level of amity between the conversationalists.