Reverting Erlang 17
We’ve found a couple of problems with Erlang R16 that mean that one of our projects requires Erlang 17. Conversely, we’ve found a couple of problems with Erlang 17 that mean that one of our other projects should stick with Erlang R16.
In a previous post, I explained how to use kerl to install multiple Erlang versions, and how to use direnv to switch between them.
One of our other other projects doesn’t work with direnv, and requires that the system-default Erlang version is R16.
Fun, fun, fun.
This post will tell you how to revert an Ubuntu box from Erlang 17 to Erlang R16.
The following command will remove any system-installed Erlang packages:
sudo apt-get remove $(dpkg --get-selections | grep ^erlang | cut -f1)
The next bit varies, depending whether you’re on Ubuntu 12.04 (in which case you’ll want to use the Erlang Solutions packages) or 14.04 (in which case, you can use the Ubuntu packages, but might not want to).
Ubuntu 12.04
I’ll assume that you’re using the Erlang Solutions packages to get version 17,
in which case you’ll have a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/erlang-solutions.list
file that looks like this:
deb http://packages.erlang-solutions.com/ubuntu precise contrib
For 12.04 you need to create a file called (e.g.) erlang-packages containing the
following:
erlang=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-appmon=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-asn1=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-base=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-common-test=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-corba=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-crypto=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-debugger=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-dev=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-dialyzer=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-diameter=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-edoc=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-eldap=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-erl-docgen=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-et=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-eunit=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-examples=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-gs=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-ic=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-ic-java=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-inets=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-inviso=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-jinterface=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-megaco=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-mnesia=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-mode=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-observer=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-odbc=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-os-mon=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-parsetools=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-percept=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-pman=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-public-key=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-reltool=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-runtime-tools=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-snmp=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-src=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-ssh=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-ssl=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-syntax-tools=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-test-server=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-toolbar=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-tools=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-tv=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-typer=1:16.b.3-3
erlang-webtool=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-wx=1:16.b.3-3 erlang-xmerl=1:16.b.3-3
Then run the following command:
sudo apt-get install `cat erlang-packages`
Ubuntu 14.04
If you’ve used the Erlang Solutions packages, you’ll probably have a
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/erlang-solutions.list file that looks like this:
deb http://packages.erlang-solutions.com/ubuntu trusty contrib
Your next decision: use the Ubuntu-provided Erlang R16 packages, or the Erlang Solutions-provided packages?
Note that the Ubuntu packages don’t seem to include erlang-wx, which means
that observer won’t work.
Erlang Solutions Packages
For the Erlang Solutions packages, edit your
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/erlang-solutions.list file so that it mentions
precise, rather than trusty:
deb http://packages.erlang-solutions.com/ubuntu precise contrib
Then create an erlang-packages file, as shown in the 12.04 section,
above.
Then run the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install `cat erlang-packages`
Ubuntu Packages
For the Ubuntu packages, create a file called (e.g.) erlang-packages
containing the following:
erlang=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-appmon=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-asn1=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-base=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-common-test=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-corba=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-crypto=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-debugger=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-dev=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-dialyzer=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-diameter=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-edoc=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-eldap=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-erl-docgen=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-et=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-eunit=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-examples=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-gs=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-ic=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-ic-java=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-inets=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-jinterface=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-megaco=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-mnesia=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-mode=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-observer=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-odbc=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-os-mon=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-parsetools=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-percept=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-pman=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-public-key=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-reltool=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-runtime-tools=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-snmp=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-src=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-ssh=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-ssl=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-syntax-tools=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-test-server=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-toolbar=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-tools=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-tv=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-typer=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-webtool=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
erlang-xmerl=1:16.b.3-dfsg-1ubuntu2.1
Then run the following command:
sudo apt-get install `cat erlang-packages`
Did that work?
$ erl
Erlang R16B03-1 (erts-5.10.4) [source] [64-bit] [smp:12:12] [async-threads:10] [kernel-poll:false]
Eshell V5.10.4 (abort with ^G)
1>
…seems to have done.