# apt module and per package releases

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-module-and-per-package-releases/19064>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [August 19, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-module-and-per-package-releases/19064 "2015-08-19T21:46:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![James\_Kruth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@James\_Kruth](https://forum.ansible.com/u/James_Kruth)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/apt-module-and-per-package-releases/19064/1 "2015-08-19T21:46:29Z")

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I’m trying to install packages from a specific release/distro (unstable) in Debian using `/unstable` syntax. Here’s an example:

ansible debian-virtual -m apt -a “name=emacs24/unstable”  
10.211.55.17 | FAILED \>\> {  
“failed”: true,  
“msg”: “No package matching ‘emacs24/unstable’ is available”  
}

I am aware of the default\_release option, however this option is unsuitable because it causes apt-get to pull in not just the package, but all it’s dependencies from the specified distro. The syntax above (if it were working) causes apt-get to just use the specified distro for that single package and not it’s dependencies.

Is there some syntax I’m not aware of to make this work, or is it a limitation of the apt module?

- James