What NOT to install from the repositories (Mint 18.x)

[MrEen]

After finding out I shouldn't be using KeePassX anymore as per xenopeek's post here: viewtopic.php?p=1461556#p1461556 I wondered what else I have installed that is probably not a good idea to keep using. For that matter, what should I not even consider installing in the first place?

I'm pretty sure there is no comprehensive list of outdated repo software anywhere, so why not create one here?

I know when Mint 19 lands, a lot of available software will be more up to date for those that upgrade. Until then, and for those that stay with 18.x even after 19 is available, maybe this thread can serve as an unofficial list of what to steer clear of in the official repositories.

I'll do my best to regularly update this post to include software that should be avoided and, where applicable, the recommended or most popular alternative.

Please offer your suggestions/opinions to help make this list as useful as possible.

The list: (Unofficial. By users for users.)

• Docker.io (Very old - 1.13.1)
  • Use the Docker repository here (currently 18.03.)

• Eclipse (Very outdated - 3.8.1-8)
  • Download from website instead here

• Handbrake (So old developer advises not to use - 0.10.2)
  • Use official PPA here (currently 1.1.0)

• HPLIP (Many reviews indicate doesn't work in Mint - 3.16.3)
  • Get it straight from HP here (currently 3.18.3)

• KeyPassX (No activity since Oct. 2016 - 2.0.2-1)
  • KeyPassXC highly recommended by many

• Timeshift (Doesn't get bug fix updates - 17.11.2)
  • Use the PPA. Instructions here (currently 18.4)

• Virtualbox (Very outdated - 5.1.34)
  • Download from Oracle instead here (currently 5.2.10)

• youtube-dl (Very outdated - 2016.02.22-1)
  • Can use PPA or follow the instructions here (currently 2018.04.25)

[deepakdeshp]

Eclipse is outdated in the repository.Instead it should be downloaded from the web site and installed.

[smurphos]

• Handbrake

Repo version is very old and developer website expressly advises avoiding using repo version.
Download from official PPA - https://launchpad.net/~stebbins/+archiv ... e-releases

• Docker

My personal experience is that the repo version is broken
Download direct from docker repo - https://docs.docker.com/install/linux/d ... repository

[slipstick]

HPLIP - version in SW manager is 3.16.3. Reviews in the SW manager indicate problems on LM versions after 17.1. Download the latest (as of this post) version 3.18.3 from the HP website:
https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imag ... g/gethplip

[Cosmo.]

TimeShift package is not maintained in the Linux repository, so bug fixes are missing.

(P.S. This thread doesn't seem to be on the proper place. Other topics would be more matching.)

[tovian]

Regardless of where this topic lands I think it may be in the wrong format. I don't have the magic answer, but I will offer a suggestion that may cause/help others to come up with even better suggestions:

I cannot/will not read through this entire thread every time I need to check the status of an app/item.
I think a simple list needs to be created (with appropriate comments/reasons).
I think the list should be maintained as a single, text-based list.
It could be saved in some cloud-storage location.
* Alternatively - it could be saved in HTML format on somebody's web-site.
It could be updated every time someone contributes another item via a post in this thread.
It should probably be kept in alphabetical order (by official app name).
Finally, I think a link to the list should be added to the first (opening) post in this thread.

I commend your efforts to provide this information. There's some logistics issues (establishing and maintaining the list, among others), but maybe the admins/mods will have an alternative solution.

[jglen490]

I'm not saying that this is a bad idea, but once a list is started it has to be maintained with corrections, additions, and deletions; and facts only, no opinions

Especially if it is to be a "sticky: at the top of the forum.

Just keep that in mind ...

[tovian]

once a list is started it has to be maintained...

On all of your points I completely agree - most of them were in my mind with my reference to "logistics issues".
I genuinely hope someone has a better idea.

I believe the information is important. It just needs to be current, accurate, and accessible. How to keep ANY shared list current is an age-old question.

Another thought... perhaps the most logical place for the info is as a "Documentation-ONLY" item right in the repos - as in the VERY FIRST ENTRY. That way the people who populate the Mint repos could add entries whenever they add/delete/modify packages. Would they actually do it? That's another question.

[MrEen]

First revision posted. Thanks all for your input! Let me know if you spot any errors or if there are any disagreements with the above (I guessed on a couple things.)

If this topic should be moved I have no problem with that (my thinking was this is a software/application subject.)

I don't mind keeping the list updated until the debate gets overly heated at which time I'll get a mod to lock it up.

[thx-1138]

Please offer your suggestions/opinions to help make this list as useful as possible.

...inxi?

[smurphos]

...inxi?

Probably not a good idea to mess with something that is quite integrated into several OS components. Anyway the repo version is old but not broken in any way. Pretty much all the repo software is 'old' at this point in Mint 18's lifecycle.

Code: Select all

apt rdepends inxi
inxi
Reverse Depends:
  mintupdate
*snip*
  xapps-common

[thx-1138]

......................

Indeed, you're right - i never checked what happens if someone tries uninstalling the older version, i simply always enable it's auto-updating feature via /etc/inxi.conf...(ie. the transition to the newer version came 'natural'....)

[smurphos]

......................

Indeed, you're right - i never checked what happens if someone tries uninstalling the older version, i simply always enable it's auto-updating feature via /etc/inxi.conf...(ie. the transition to the newer version came 'natural'....)

Didn't know that inxi had the ability to self update - so it's updating itself directly from source? https://smxi.org/docs/inxi-faqs.htm#update-vc-version

[thx-1138]

.................................

Yeap, directly from github's repo
Occasionally, say once every 2-3 months that i get to remember it (i guess i should probably set a monthly cron job instead...),
i'll probably also run sudo update-pciids && sudo update-usbids...

[smurphos]

Nice - thanks thx

[tovian]

@ MrEen

Since you are not listing the version that is outdated how would we know if the repository contains a newer version than the one your list advises against?
Are you tracking all updates to the repo's and comparing them to your list?

I'm not trying to be "contrary" or find fault. I just want to have a good feeling that the list offers the correct advice.
I believe this is a good thing and I appreciate your efforts to get it started.

[Sir Charles]

QupZilla
repository version: 1.8.9
current version: 2.2.6
An AppImage (64bit) can be downloaded at https://qupzilla.com/download#linux

[Cosmo.]

I just happened to see another reason, why TimeShift should not be taken from the Mint repositories. Out of a strange reason the Mint team has modified the TS version and has built in the dependency for its own libxapp library, a library for x-apps. TS is no x-app and I have not enough fantasy to imagine, why this might have been done. But fact is, that this dependency introduced a cause for a possible crash of TS. The original TS does not have this dependency (no wonder).

[lmuserx4849]

....

• Docker.io (Very old - 1.13.1)
  • Use the Docker repository here (currently 18.03.)

• Eclipse (Very outdated - 3.8.1-8)
  • Download from website instead here

• Handbrake (So old developer advises not to use - 0.10.2)
  • Use official PPA here (currently 1.1.0)

• HPLIP (Many reviews indicate doesn't work in Mint - 3.16.3)
  • Get it straight from HP here (currently 3.18.3)

• KeyPassX (No activity since Oct. 2016 - 2.0.2-1)
  • KeyPassXC highly recommended by many

• Timeshift (Doesn't get bug fix updates - 17.11.2)
  • Use the PPA. Instructions here (currently 18.4)

• Virtualbox (Very outdated - 5.1.34)
  • Download from Oracle instead here (currently 5.2.10)

• youtube-dl (Very outdated - 2016.02.22-1)
  • Can use PPA or follow the instructions here (currently 2018.04.25)

How do you determine what not to install?

I struggle with this too. It's one of the reasons I only do the customizations I absolutely need these days. Before I install anything, I look at the version/date in the repository. I then look at the PPA. I try to only install from someone that is more "official". But you have to weed through a lot of old, unmaintained stuff. Next I go to the home page or git page of the application and view the date, issues, and how active it is. Although I applaud your noble efforts, I'm not sure another list is maintainable and it'll just be another thing that eventually drifts into the Internet abyss to grow old and obsolete. I think it is safe to say, most application software is not very current in the repositories. But that was suppose to be a selling point of a LTS; They fix the software and freeze it before making it official. I appreciate all the distributions do and I'm sure I'm missing the details of the process. I've googled this topic and come up with Why don't the Ubuntu repositories have the latest versions of software?. It makes sense, but is almost impossible to live by because the world doesn't stand still. The current solution is trending towards containers (i.e., flatpaks). I'm compiling, as needed.