How Many PPAs Do You Have?

[Joss]

Since Mint is based on LTS versions there are inherent limitations with repositories as to the version of most programs.
PPAs are an obvious workaround to those apps of which we must (for whatever reason) have the latest version.
So do you use PPAs to some programs, how many, and has the experience been smooth?

[minitux]

None

[Pjotr]

None. I do have three non-official repo's in my sources list though: for Google Chrome, Opera and Skype.

[Minterator]

Only 3 listed:

ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer

ppa:stebbins/handbrake-releases

ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test


The last one is for installing kernel 4.11.12

[ibbill]

None. I do have one non-official repo's in my sources list though: for Google Chrome

[WiltshireJon]

One only, for Darktable. It just gets better each release. Now with haze removal.

ppa:pmjdebruijn/darktable-release

[BenTrabetere]

I have three - for Cherrytree, darktable and MuseScore, although I could easily get rid of the PPAs for CherryTree and MuseScore. CherryTree does not get updated that frequently, and I have no problem running the MuseScore AppImage.

darktable is the only reason I upgraded to LM 18.x, and the PPA is a keeper for me.

ppa:giuspen/ppa (CherryTree)
ppa:pmjdebruijn/darktable-release (darktable)
ppa:mscore-ubuntu/mscore-stable (MuseScore)


If you need an example of software done correctly, look at MuseScore. It is an excellent application, the forum is active and well supported, it has thorough documentation, the documentation is easy to find, and the MuseScore Handbook is available as a PDF.

Even better, the developers really understand AppImage. I assume they are equally adept working with Snaps and FlatPaks. Current versions of MuseScore are available in all three formats, and the development builds are available as an AppImage.
https://musescore.org

[jimallyn]

I have 22 PPAs in my sources. But in counting them just now, I saw 3 that I don't really need at the moment. I didn't delete them, just disabled them. I hear people say on a fairly regular basis that PPAs can be a lot of trouble, but I don't recall ever having troubles with any of them. YMMV.

[phd21]

Hi Joss, and Everyone Else,

I have 94 entries in the software sources folder, "/etc/apt/sources.list.d/". Not all are PPA's, but most of them are. A couple are the Linux Mint mirrors (official-package-repositories) for the Software Manager or Synaptic Package Manager (SPM) and Update Manager, so 92 entries, if you exclude those.

Code: Select all

tree /etc/apt/sources.list.d/

It is wise to make sure you only install PPA's from reliable sources. If you are unsure, then ask here.

I have very rarely run into a problem with PPA's, but I have had some conflicts a couple of times where PPA's have the same packages or dependency packages. It can be a real pain to fix or resolve those sometimes, although after extensive research I did find one command that could fix most issues, one command "to rule them all" to resolve conflicts with PPA's.

Code: Select all

sudo aptitude install -f

I install a lot of software because I have a lot of interests, and I enjoy helping others in this Linux Mint forum and elsewhere, that is why I have all the PPA's and software sources. And, I like to have the most current versions of software. I am sure I could get rid of a couple these for software that I installed but do not really use anymore.

Code: Select all

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/
├── additional-repositories.list
├── anonbeat-guayadeque-xenial.list
├── atareao-atareao-xenial.list
├── audio-recorder-ppa-xenial.list
├── bovender-bovender-xenial.list
├── bunkus.org.list
├── cdemu-ppa-xenial.list
├── cfgnunes-ppa-xenial.list
├── cinelerra-ppa-ppa-xenial.list
├── costales-anoise-xenial.list
├── danielrichter2007-grub-customizer-xenial.list
├── dhor-myway-xenial.list
├── dobey-redshift-daily-xenial.list
├── dominik-stadler-dsta-xenial-ppa-xenial.list
├── flacon-ppa-xenial.list
├── flexiondotorg-audio-xenial.list
├── forkotov02-ppa-xenial.list
├── fossfreedom-rhythmbox-plugins-xenial.list
├── fossfreedom-rhythmbox-xenial.list
├── gerardpuig-ppa-xenial.list
├── removed.list
├── gezakovacs-ppa-xenial.list
├── giuspen-ppa-xenial.list
├── google-chrome.list
├── google-earth.list
├── gottcode-gcppa-xenial.list
├── heyarje-makemkv-beta-xenial.list
├── hsoft-ppa-xenial.list
├── inkscape_dev-stable-xenial.list
├── insync.list
├── jeffreyratcliffe-ppa-xenial.list
├── jgeboski.list
├── jitsi-stable.list
├── jonathonf-ffmpeg-3-xenial.list
├── jonathonf-pepperflashplugin-nonfree-xenial.list
├── jonathonf-python-3_6-xenial.list
├── jonathonf-scribus-xenial.list
├── jon-hedgerows-get-iplayer-xenial.list
├── kdenlive-kdenlive-stable-xenial.list
├── klaus-vormweg-bluefish-xenial.list
├── kritalime-ppa-xenial.list
├── kubuntu-ppa-backports-xenial.list
├── libreoffice-ppa-xenial.list
├── lightzone-team-lightzone-xenial.list
├── linphone-release-xenial.list
├── maarten-baert-simplescreenrecorder-xenial.list
├── maarten-fonville-android-studio-xenial.list
├── martin-salbaba-ppa_libimobiledevice-xenial.list
├── mc3man-mpv-tests-xenial.list
├── me-davidsansome-clementine-xenial.list
├── nilarimogard-webupd8-xenial.list
├── noobslab-apps-xenial.list
├── notepadqq-team-notepadqq-xenial.list
├── obsproject-obs-studio-xenial.list
├── official-package-repositories.list
├── openjdk-r-ppa-xenial.list
├── openshot_developers-ppa-xenial.list
├── openvpn-aptrepo.list
├── opera-stable.list
├── otto-kesselgulasch-gimp-xenial.list
├── ozmartian-apps-xenial.list
├── peek-developers-stable-xenial.list
├── peterlevi-ppa-xenial.list
├── phoerious-keepassxc-xenial.list
├── pj-assis-testing-xenial.list
├── plasmazilla-releases-xenial.list
├── plexapp-plexht-xenial.list
├── pmjdebruijn-darktable-release-xenial.list
├── qos-pulseaudio-dlna-xenial.list
├── rednotebook-stable-xenial.list
├── ring-nightly-main.list
├── rolfbensch-sane-git-xenial.list
├── rvm-smplayer-xenial.list
├── scribus-ppa-xenial.list
├── sebastian-stenzel-cryptomator-xenial.list
├── skype-stable.list
├── stellarium-stellarium-releases-xenial.list
├── stk-dev-xenial.list
├── team-xbmc-ppa-xenial.list
├── teejee2008-ppa-xenial.list
├── thomas-schiex-blender-xenial.list
├── trojita.list
├── ubuntu-defaults.list
├── ubuntuhandbook1-apps-xenial.list
├── ubuntuhandbook1-audacity-xenial.list
├── ubuntuhandbook1-dvdstyler-xenial.list
├── ubuntuhandbook1-lives-xenial.list
├── ubuntu-mozilla-security-ppa-xenial.list
├── videolan-master-daily-xenial.list
├── webupd8team-atom-xenial.list
├── webupd8team-java-xenial.list
├── webupd8team-tor-browser-xenial.list
├── webupd8team-y-ppa-manager-xenial.list
└── wire-desktop.list
0 directories, 94 files

Hope this helps ...