Managing Repositories
Prev
Next

Managing Repositories

What are Repositories?

There are thousands of programs freely available to install on Kubuntu. These programs are stored in software archives (repositories) and are made available for installation over the Internet. This makes it very easy to install new programs in Linux, and it is also very secure, because each program you install is built specially for Kubuntu and checked before it is installed. To organize the software, Kubuntu repositories are categorized into four groups: Main, Restricted, Universe, and Multiverse.

The rationale used to determine which software goes into which category is based on two factors:

  • The level of support software development teams provide for a program

  • The level of compliance the program has to the Free Software Philosophy

You can find more information about the Repositories available on the Ubuntu website.

The standard Kubuntu Install CD contains some software from the Main and Restricted categories. Once your system is made aware of the Internet-based locations for these repositories, many more programs are made available for installation. Using the software package management tools already installed on your system, you can search for, install and update any piece of software directly over the Internet, without the need for the CD.

Removing the CD-ROM Repository

The Kubuntu Install CD-ROM is included in the repositories after installation. This can cause Adept to ask for the CD-ROM when installing packages. It is possible to disable this repository so that Adept relies solely on the internet repositories.

To disable the CD-ROM repository:

  1. Start Adept by choosing K Menu->System->Adept (Package Manager) from the Desktop menu system.

  2. Select View->Manage Repositories in the Adept package manager window.

  3. Find the repository line that starts with "cdrom:", right click the line, and select Disable.

  4. Click Apply to save your changes, and then exit using Close.

Adding Extra Repositories

To enable the extra repositories:

  1. Start Adept by choosing K Menu->System->Adept (Package Manager) from the Desktop menu system.

  2. Select View->Manage Repositories in the Adept package manager window.

  3. To enable the Universe repository, find the repository line with the Universe Component, and right click the line and select Enable.

    Note

    Adding this repository will mean that the majority of the Free Software universe will be available to install on your system. This software is supported by a carefully selected group of volunteers within the Kubuntu Community, but is not supported by the core Kubuntu development team and may not include security updates.

  4. To enable the Multiverse repository, find the repository lines (two of them) with the Universe Component, and click the word "universe". Edit the entry so that it reads "universe multiverse". Right click the line and select Enable to enable it if it is not already enabled.

    Warning

    Adding this repository will mean that software which has been classified as non-free will be available to install on your system. This software may not be permitted in some jurisdictions. When installing each package from this repository, you should verify that the laws of your country permit you to use it. Again, this software may not include security updates.

  5. Click Apply to save your changes, and then exit using Close.

Prev
Next
Home