apt-mark is nothing like masking from gentoo. A-M is just for making modifications to the database that remembers whether a package was intentionally installed or was automatically pulled in as part of a dependency. This database is how apt generates the list of "packages that were automatically installed and no longer needed." The closest thing that I can think of to masking in Debi an is pulling in a package from experimental or a PPA that you added. There are no packages in the repo (stable, testing, unstable) you are using that require anything other than "apt-get install package" to install them.

You have described apt-mark {auto|manual}, but there is also apt-mark {hold|unhold}.

Damn, I always abused apt-preferences to achieve the same effect as apt-mark hold|unhold. Thanks! Does 'apt-get dist-upgrade' respect held packages?

A-M is the recommended way to hold a package, previously you would use `dpkg --get-selections`. All apt/dpkg commands will abide by what you set with A-M.

Yes, it does.

Do you think hold/unhold is anything like masking in gentoo? Me neither...