On Wed, 27 Jan 2016 16:42:56 +0000 (UTC)
Mitt Green <mitt_green@???> wrote:

> $ cat /etc/apt/preferences.d/avoid-systemd
> Package: systemd-sysv
> Pin: release o=Debian
> Pin-Priority: -1
>
> $ sudo apt install systemd-sysv
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree
> Reading state information... Done
> The following additional packages will be installed:
> libseccomp2 libsystemd0 systemd

I can not confirm that apt in exactly that configuration does override
the pinning preferences, just tested again on my Jessie laptop:

root@nullmobil:~# cat /etc/apt/preferences.d/avoid-systemd
Package: systemd-sysv
Pin: release o=Debian
Pin-Priority: -1

root@nullmobil:~# apt install systemd-sysv
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Package systemd-sysv is not available, but is referred to by another
package.

> But, both the methods that you have provided [1] work.
> Thus it becomes
> -----------------------
>
> Package: [package name]
> Pin: release a=* [or o=*]
> Pin-Priority: -1

What entries do you have in your sources.list? Here it's only "jessie"
and "jessie-updates" from de.mirror.devuan.org/merged/