I am running Debian testing/jessie with a few packages (I can count on my fingers) from unstable/sid and a couple from experimental (browsers). As asked by Faheem, here's the output of apt-cache policy . $ apt-cache policyPackage files: 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status     release a=now 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ experimental/main Translation-en 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ experimental/contrib Translation-en   1 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ experimental/contrib amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=experimental,n=experimental,l=Debian,c=contrib     origin debian.ec.as6453.net   1 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ experimental/main amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=experimental,n=experimental,l=Debian,c=main     origin debian.ec.as6453.net 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ unstable/non-free Translation-en 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ unstable/main Translation-en 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ unstable/contrib Translation-en   1 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ unstable/non-free amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=unstable,n=sid,l=Debian,c=non-free     origin debian.ec.as6453.net   1 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ unstable/contrib amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=unstable,n=sid,l=Debian,c=contrib     origin debian.ec.as6453.net   1 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ unstable/main amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=unstable,n=sid,l=Debian,c=main     origin debian.ec.as6453.net 500 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main Translation-en 600 http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates/main amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=testing,n=jessie,l=Debian-Security,c=main     origin security.debian.org 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie-updates/non-free Translation-en 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie-updates/main Translation-en 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie-updates/contrib Translation-en 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie-updates/non-free amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=testing-updates,n=jessie-updates,l=Debian,c=non-free     origin debian.ec.as6453.net 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie-updates/contrib amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=testing-updates,n=jessie-updates,l=Debian,c=contrib     origin debian.ec.as6453.net 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie-updates/main amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=testing-updates,n=jessie-updates,l=Debian,c=main     origin debian.ec.as6453.net 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie/non-free Translation-en 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie/main Translation-en 500 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie/contrib Translation-en 600 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie/non-free amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=testing,n=jessie,l=Debian,c=non-free     origin debian.ec.as6453.net 600 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie/contrib amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=testing,n=jessie,l=Debian,c=contrib     origin debian.ec.as6453.net 600 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie/main amd64 Packages     release o=Debian,a=testing,n=jessie,l=Debian,c=main     origin debian.ec.as6453.netPinned packages:I know three commands to find versions of a package but both these commands take cognizance of the fact of what is there in my /etc/apt/sources.list and then tells/shares it. I am taking wordpress as an example to share and show:$ aptitude versions wordpressPackage python-wordpresslib:              p   1.1-1                                      testing,unstable           600 Package ruby-omniauth-wordpress:p   0.2.1-1                                    testing,unstable           600 Package wordpress:p   3.9.2+dfsg-1                               testing                    600 p   4.0+dfsg-1                                 unstable                   1   Package wordpress-l10n:p   3.9.2+dfsg-1                               testing                    600 p   4.0+dfsg-1                                 unstable                   1   Package wordpress-openid:p   3.3.4-1                                    testing,unstable           600 Package wordpress-shibboleth:p   1.4-2                                      testing,unstable           600 Package wordpress-theme-twentyfourteen:p   3.9.2+dfsg-1                               testing                    600 p   4.0+dfsg-1                                 unstable                   1   Package wordpress-theme-twentythirteen:p   3.9.2+dfsg-1                               testing                    600 p   4.0+dfsg-1                                 unstable                   1   Package wordpress-theme-twentytwelve:p   3.9.2+dfsg-1                               testing                    600 p   4.0+dfsg-1                                 unstable                   1   Package wordpress-xrds-simple:p   1.1-1                         As can be seen this is not so accurate, so we go to the other command :-$ apt-show-versions -a wordpresswordpress not installed (available for: all)yes it's not installed so it doesn't show me everything. Let me do a stand-in example instead which is installed to show the info. it has :-$ apt-show-versions -a iceweaseliceweasel:amd64 31.0-3 install ok installediceweasel:amd64 31.0-3      jessie       debian.ec.as6453.netNo testing-updates versioniceweasel:amd64 31.1.0esr-1 unstable     debian.ec.as6453.neticeweasel:amd64 32.0-1      experimental debian.ec.as6453.neticeweasel:amd64/jessie 31.0-3 uptodateand lastly apt-cache policy. $ apt-cache policy wordpresswordpress:  Installed: (none)  Candidate: 3.9.2+dfsg-1  Version table:     4.0+dfsg-1 0          1 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ unstable/main amd64 Packages     3.9.2+dfsg-1 0        600 http://debian.ec.as6453.net/debian/ jessie/main amd64 PackagesNow this misses out on listing from stable. Does anybody know of a utility which does the same work, takes  few seconds to a minute to figure out what versions of a package are listed in the PTS against which release and share that info. If there is no utility but instead a shell script is needed to do the same, how the shell script would look/be needed. It basically would need to grab the versions info. and which track (stable,testing, unstable, experimental)  they follow and give the answer to user. I tried to find either a utility or a shell script but failed miserably. If anybody has any idea, please let me know. 
how to get info. about different versions of a binary package which are not in /etc/apt/sources.list?
debian;apt;package management