4 ms·

I usually praise the rich ecosystem of custom packages and (PPA) repositories available for Ubuntu. It means you get the stability and security of a distributio

by morsch 15y ago

I usually praise the rich ecosystem of custom packages and (PPA) repositories available for Ubuntu. It means you get the stability and security of a distribution-maintained main repository as well as the up-to-date or even cutting edge nature of developer-maintained repositories. Unfortunately, it's a huge pain in the ass when updating. Packages in PPAs are built with a specific distribution in mind, and distribution release x packages aren't supported in release x+1. I think the recommended routine when upgrading is to purge all custom PPAs you are using before you upgrade. And then add them back, if available, after upgrading. Of course, you might not even need the PPA since x+1 might already have the program version you need. Still, upgrading is already a somewhat fragile process, and using lots of PPAs makes it even more prone to breaking. The upside is that it's really easy and safe to clean install over an existing install, particularly if you've got /home on it's own partition.

rbanffy 15y ago
Isn't this handled automatically? I remember the upgrade disabling things like Google and Virtualbox repos.
- morsch 15y ago
  Apparently using ppa-purge is only necessary for certain critical PPAs like x-updates. Still, I think the process is fragile even if it's mostly automatic: who's to say the version you end up with after the upgrade is compatible with the one from a PPA you had been using before the upgrade.
arbrandes 15y ago
I have never had serious breakage after a distribution upgrade due to PPA repositories. Au contraire, the upgrade manager takes care to disable third party repositories automatically. Now, that doesn't mean that things are always flawless. My main complaint is with a) bugs in the release itself, and b) the many reckless changes in paradigm, sometimes flawed by design, and implemented with half-finished software (upstart and Unity come to mind). Because of a), I usually wait a month to upgrade. b) is more serious, and though it sometimes isn't Canonical' s fault (I'm looking at you, Gnome!), it is why I dread dist-upgrades. Finding reasonably functional and bug-free alternatives to the junk they want to shove down my throat sometimes takes months. For instance, I have only just yesterday found a decent desktop to replace Gnome2 (Mint's Cinnamon), after being homeless since the release of 11.04. Still, I wouldn't swap Ubuntu for any other distro (not even Mint, which is just another _buntu, so why bother)! The PPA system is brilliant. The community is huge, so even if bugs aren't fixed, workarounds and patches abound. And last but not least, it's the only distro I can even consider doing a dist-upgrade with the hopes of having a working system after it's done.

by morsch 15y ago

rbanffy 15y ago

Isn't this handled automatically? I remember the upgrade disabling things like Google and Virtualbox repos.

morsch 15y ago
Apparently using ppa-purge is only necessary for certain critical PPAs like x-updates. Still, I think the process is fragile even if it's mostly automatic: who's to say the version you end up with after the upgrade is compatible with the one from a PPA you had been using before the upgrade.

arbrandes 15y ago

I have never had serious breakage after a distribution upgrade due to PPA repositories. Au contraire, the upgrade manager takes care to disable third party repositories automatically. Now, that doesn't mean that things are always flawless. My main complaint is with a) bugs in the release itself, and b) the many reckless changes in paradigm, sometimes flawed by design, and implemented with half-finished software (upstart and Unity come to mind). Because of a), I usually wait a month to upgrade. b) is more serious, and though it sometimes isn't Canonical' s fault (I'm looking at you, Gnome!), it is why I dread dist-upgrades. Finding reasonably functional and bug-free alternatives to the junk they want to shove down my throat sometimes takes months. For instance, I have only just yesterday found a decent desktop to replace Gnome2 (Mint's Cinnamon), after being homeless since the release of 11.04. Still, I wouldn't swap Ubuntu for any other distro (not even Mint, which is just another _buntu, so why bother)! The PPA system is brilliant. The community is huge, so even if bugs aren't fixed, workarounds and patches abound. And last but not least, it's the only distro I can even consider doing a dist-upgrade with the hopes of having a working system after it's done.