Extra Repositories for All Ubuntu Distros

Never again worry about searching for extra Ubuntu repositories. From this point on, this will be your one-stop-shop for getting any of the repositories mentioned in JournalXtra posts. Through this page you will have access to repositories for Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu and other distros whether running on i386, AMD64 or (to  some extent) PPC processors.

This post is your gateway to a simple script to write Ubuntu Linux software repositories based on desktop environment, version name and architecture. It works on the basis that different repository URIs used for different Ubuntu distros mostly only ever change their URI by the version name of the distribution or by some equally small alteration.

For example, for Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat, the repository for GetDeb changes from this:

deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu maverick-getdeb apps

To this, for Ubuntu Lucid Lynx:

deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu lucid-getdeb apps

The script works by passing the information entered into the form below into a php script which then both writes and displays the “correct” repositories for the specified platform on the next page.

It works for Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu and other variants of the Ubuntu distro. Check the table under the form to confirm that it works for your distro. Your feedback is needed for untested distros.

The script does not error check. It does not collect data from external sources. It might do more at a later date but not now. It is experimental and it is being refined as I discover ways to improve it.

Please leave comments to tell me know about errors, extra repositories you would like me to add, changes that need to be made, to let me know that it works flawlessly for your distro or just to say thank you.

The repositories provided by this script are listed after the Checking Your Distros section of this post.

This is a work in progress so expect teething problems.

As a final comment before the form, when using php, remember when you change the values of your variables. I spent over a day re-re-re and re- writing this script (and then some) because I had forgotten I had changed a variable’s value.

Instructions

1. Enter your distro’s details into the form below
2. Click send
3. Copy the text on the next page into a terminal

The Form

Select your desktop environment:

Tested Distros

Please comment to let me know about any corrections that need to be made to this table.

Checking Your Distro

If you are unsure of your distro’s name, open a terminal and type

lsb_release -a

Then press enter.

The printed text will be your distribution’s name and version number.

Software and Repositories

Not all the software made accessible by this script is available to all Ubuntu distros. The script will only present repository and software installation guides that are suitable for the distro and architecture specified in the form. Here is a detailed list of all the possible software and repository information that may be presented on the repository page.

Medibuntu

Medibuntu provides the multimedia codecs required for encrypted DVD playback.

Ubuntu Restricted Extras

Available for Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu and Xubuntu. Installs the codecs needed for MP3 playback and decoding, support for various other audio formats (GStreamer plug-ins), Microsoft fonts, Java runtime environment, Flash plug-in, LAME (to create compressed audio files) and DVD playback.

Ubuntu Studio

Ubuntu Studio provides many audio and video playback, streaming, editing and creation software. This can be found in your favorite package manager but the next page will show you how to  install Ubuntu Studio Desktop with a terminal command.

PlayOnLinux

The easiest way to install and manage multiple versions of Wine. Also provides access to multitudinous Windows software installation scripts.

Winetricks

Winetricks is another application that makes it easy to install Windows applications into Wine. Best used to install DLLs, DirectX, Flash and AdobeAir.

VirtualBox

Allows guest operating systems to be installed within a host operating system. The guest OS is installed on a (emulated) virtual machine and runs at the same time as the host. Good for people who need to use multiple operating systems without rebooting their machines. Fantastic for Linux users who want to run Windows games that will not work in Wine (use VB to install Windows within Linux). The guest will only function once you switch it on (boot the OS with VirtalBox).

IPList

IPList is similar to PeerGuardian used in Windows. It protects torrent users from downloading data packets from IP addresses that are known to be espiant. That is to say that some people provide downloads and seed torrents for the sole purpose of spying on and tracking the downloaders. IPList drops data packets downloaded from such uploaders and seeders thus helps protect privacy.

GetDeb and PlayDeb

GetDeb and PlayDeb provide prebuilt Debian application and game packages for Ubuntu distros. Most of these packages are unavailable through the default Ubuntu repositories but where the Ubuntu and GetDeb or PlayDeb repositories provide the same software, the packages provided by GetDeb and PlayDeb are usually more up to date than those provided by Ubuntu.

SDLMAME & SDLMESS

MAME and MESS are emulators for arcade machines and old computer systems such as Spectrum, Atari and Commodore.

LAMP & Webmin

Lamp is the acronym for:

• Linux
• Apache
• MySQL
• PHP

It converts a regular desktop operating system into a web server capable! Don’t worry, it does not remove your desktop or make it less functional. On the contrary, it enables you to install and test web applications such as WordPress, Joomla and phpBB.

GNOME3

Available to Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty) users through an experimental PPA repository maintained by the GNOME3 Team. Expected to be stable with the final release of Natty on the 28th April 2011.

What Else

Many more packages are also available through the repository page along with links to the homepage  of each package. I  recommend you complete the form above and take a peek.

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