[R-sig-Debian] Upgrading R packages on Etch

[(Ted Harding)]

Greetings,
I've been trying to upgrade R packages on my Debian Etch
(whose other upgrades I have been cheerfully going along
with as they occur).

When I did, just now:

  sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

I got:

  Reading package lists... Done
  Building dependency tree... Done
  Calculating upgrade... Done
  The following packages have been kept back:
    r-base-core r-cran-boot r-cran-cluster r-cran-codetools
    r-cran-kernsmooth r-cran-lattice r-cran-matrix r-cran-mgcv
    r-cran-nlme r-cran-rpart r-cran-survival r-cran-vr
    r-recommended
  0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 13 not upgraded.

And the same failure to install these R packages occurs when I
try it from the update-manager or from synaptic.

In short, it's not going to upgrade any of those!

I can't find any indication of a reason why it won't upgrade
these, beyond the following message from update-manager:

  Some updates require the removal of further software.
  Use the function "Mark All Upgrades" of the package manager
  "Synaptic" or run "sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" in a terminal
  to update your system completely.

  The following upgrades will be skipped:
  [Same list as above]

The "Mark All Upgrades" suggestion for synaptic didn't seem
to do anything.

So I'm stuck. Any advice/information/suggestions?

PS: I am *very reluctant* to attempt replacing my Debian Etch
with Debian Lenny (the latest). This system works as it is!
Also, I am not an in-depth expert on how Debian's package
management works.

With thanks,
Ted.

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E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding at manchester.ac.uk>
Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861
Date: 10-Nov-09                                       Time: 08:39:56
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