Breaking the ability to update Ubuntu

[wdhpr]

Just thought I would share my experience with Ubuntu's update process. I am using Ubuntu 10.10 and I like many others have been tweaking the desktop to something I find familiar. In the process of doing so I installed various programs by using apt-get via the command line. Its important to realize that by doing this will/may also attach repositories to your update manager. I discovered this because I started getting errors when the system would check for updates daily. After checking various stuff I went into Ailurus (which is a great app) to check my repositories. I looked at the edit repositories menu and fastest repositories menu. With edit repositories it gave me the source list. Here I discovered duplicate sources (this in itself will cause errors) When I checked fastest repositories I found around 5 or six different countries as mirrors. I unchecked the duplicate repositories in the edit section and then selected near by locations in the fastest repository section. This cleared all errors and now all runs smoothly. I have to add I had help at the Ubuntu forum.

Hope this helps someone.

Wdhpr

[Jeff91]

Originally Posted by wdhpr

Its important to realize that by doing this will/may also attach repositories to your update manager.

I think you are misunderstanding slightly.

Installing software via apt-get does not ever add more repositories to your system. The only way to do this is by editing your sources.list (located in /etc/apt) - now keep in mind there are several GUI/CLI commands for doing this, so something else you may have run may be responsible for muddling up your package sources. For example an easy way to set which countries apt server you are using is by using the Software Sources application in your administration menu (in gnome anyways).

I went into Ailurus (which is a great app)

^ This may be the application responsible for messing up the sources in the first place. pretty sure it adds things.

Cheers,
~Jeff

[wdhpr]

Installing software via apt-get does not ever add more repositories to your system.

It does if your using the line command to go after the repositories that are needed to download the packages thats wanted. This tweak was edited recently and used to use the line command and now its using the GUI anyway IT was the best Example I can think of:

Enable Windows 7 Superbar

In Windows 7, frequently used programs can be pinned to the taskbar (hence called Superbar). Likewise, DockBarX, a Gnome panel plugin, can be added to Ubuntu to achieve almost the same effect to pin and unpin or launch the applications from the panel.

1. DockBarX AppletGo to Ubuntu Software Center > Edit > Software Source.
2. Select "Other Software" and click "Add"
3. At APT line, enter ppa:dockbar-main/ppa, click "Add Source" and "Close"
4. At the left panel of Ubuntu Software Center, select "PPA for Dockbar Main Group", which is added after the above steps
5. At the right panel, select DockbarX and click "Install"
6. Right click the panel and click “Add to Panel”.
7. Select the DockBarX Applet and click "Add".

Note: A thumbnail preview of a running program is also available to DockBarX. To enable this feature, right-click the DockBarX item on the panel, select Properties, choose Window List and tick "Show Previews". Other preferences such as appearance, window item and group button can also be configured by users.

This tweak added dockBarx to my repository. (As a PPA)

I cant remember all the tweaks but I don't think Ailurus was responsible because I never altered anything to do with the repositories. Mostly used the cleaner. Also I am under the interpretation that Synaptic is just a front end for apt-get. Apt-get commands and synaptic usage effect the same files in the root directory. yes?
Then again I only have a couple of years experience so you may be correct.
Thanks for your input I appreciate anything or anyone that helps me with Linux.

Wdhpr

[Ritho]

At APT line, enter ppa:dockbar-main/ppa, click "Add Source" and "Close"

Using "apt-get install etc" alone won't add a repository, but the line quoted above sure does. That is exactly what the ppa adds, in this case the dockbar-main repository.

[Jeff91]

Originally Posted by Ritho

Using "apt-get install etc" alone won't add a repository, but the line quoted above sure does. That is exactly what the ppa adds, in this case the dockbar-main repository.

Spot on. PPA means personal package archive, which in turn is really just a private repository.

~Jeff

[wdhpr]

For all I know about Linux and that could fit in a peanut butter jar. I added about a dozen various tweaks by copying and pasting lines to the terminal and it ended up adding new sources to the list of repositories.
Now are you saying its impossible to add to anything to the repository list using apt-get?
Is apt-get and synaptic generally the same application with Synaptic being a front end. I checked this directory /var/lib/apt/lists/ and I spotted both sources added by way of apt-get and synaptic as well as Ubuntu's software center. Just about every tweak I made has worked well with 1 exception. Most of the tips and tweaks I used came JOJO's list of tips and tricks and Ubuntu 10 10 tips from Liberian Geek

Wdhpr

[wdhpr]

I did some research

Is apt-get and synaptic generally the same application with Synaptic being a front end?

I believe I found the answer here

mgor
November 21st, 2005, 12:21 PM
add applications is a lightweight altarnative for synaptic,
synaptic is a gui frontend for apt-get,
and apt-get is the command line tool for installing packages.

Wdhpr

[Jojoyee]

Originally Posted by wdhpr

...I added about a dozen various tweaks by copying and pasting lines to the terminal and it ended up adding new sources to the list of repositories...

It's possible to add a new source by using the add-apt-repository command in the terminal, or you run a debian package, it adds a new source for you. For example, I just downloaded and installed Opera 11, and it added a new repository file opera.list in this folder /etc/apt/sources.list.d.

The apt-get command is a non-gui front-end of Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) to handle basically the installation and removal of software. It uses the list of repositories stored at this file /etc/apt/sources.list and other files in the /etc/apt/sources.list.d folder, but doesn't add new repositories to those files afaik. That said, if you do apt-get install say a Debian package, the package itself can add a new source to the list as mentioned above.

Other than the above, other ways of adding or removing repositories from the list may include:
1. Use the Software Manager or Package Manager (as available to Linux Mint from the Menu).
2. Manually edit the files by a text editor (not recommended for most average users).

Hope this helps.

[wdhpr]

Thank you Jojo. That clears the waters somewhat.

All I know is I ended up with sources added to my repository that I didn't know about. It makes sense that new software developers would have to add a PPA to your source list to support their product. What really broke my update ability was duplicate sources being added to my resource list and several mirrors that were located outside my country. I'm not sure how this happened because I never added them nor did I alter any settings from the update manager, Ubuntu software center or synaptic.

Anyway I know what to look for if it happens again.

Take care
Wdhpr

[wdhpr]

root@wdhpr-W3644:/home/wdhpr# apt-get help
apt 0.8.3ubuntu7 for i386 compiled on Oct 5 2010 14:07:36
Usage: apt-get [options] command
apt-get [options] install|remove pkg1 [pkg2 ...]
apt-get [options] source pkg1 [pkg2 ...]

apt-get is a simple command line interface for downloading and
installing packages. The most frequently used commands are update
and install.

Commands:
update - Retrieve new lists of packages
upgrade - Perform an upgrade
install - Install new packages (pkg is libc6 not libc6.deb)
remove - Remove packages
autoremove - Remove automatically all unused packages
purge - Remove packages and config files
source - Download source archives
build-dep - Configure build-dependencies for source packages
dist-upgrade - Distribution upgrade, see apt-get(8)
dselect-upgrade - Follow dselect selections
clean - Erase downloaded archive files
autoclean - Erase old downloaded archive files
check - Verify that there are no broken dependencies
markauto - Mark the given packages as automatically installed
unmarkauto - Mark the given packages as manually installed

Options:
-h This help text.
-q Loggable output - no progress indicator
-qq No output except for errors
-d Download only - do NOT install or unpack archives
-s No-act. Perform ordering simulation
-y Assume Yes to all queries and do not prompt
-f Attempt to correct a system with broken dependencies in place
-m Attempt to continue if archives are unlocatable
-u Show a list of upgraded packages as well
-b Build the source package after fetching it
-V Show verbose version numbers
-c=? Read this configuration file
-o=? Set an arbitrary configuration option, eg -o dir::cache=/tmp
See the apt-get(8), sources.list(5) and apt.conf(5) manual
pages for more information and options.
This APT has Super Cow Powers.

Will any of these add or alter the source list? Or the list of Repositories
Sorry I don't mean to be a pain

Thanks
Wdhpr