Kubuntu and it’s Repositories
Even though Kubuntu shares quite a lot with it’s older sibling, there are obviously enough differences between the two distros that Kubuntu use Ubuntu’s PPA system for a large portion of it’s updates. There are myriad reasons for this, but basically it boils down to these concepts:
- New versions of software are not available in the standard repositories
- KDE release new software that often provide new features and fixes
- These new packages might need some testing before they are hopefully made available in Ubuntu’s Backports
- Many Kubuntu users enjoy having the latest and greatest bits available to them
Unfortunately, with the number of Kubuntu ppa repositories available and the migration of some KDE SC versions to Ubuntu’s Backports, there can be some confusion on what each is for. So below I will briefly describe what each of them contains and what they are for.
For information on how to manage your apt repositories in Kubuntu please read this and that
Kubuntu Updates
Here you will find Kubuntu packages for KDE releases which are due to go to Ubuntu Updates. These are primarily KDE point releases.
Users would be able to get new minor, or "point", releases of KDE SC. For example, Karmic users were able to upgrade from KDE SC 4.3.2 to 4.3.5 using this and test it out before it was moved into karmic-backports
Kubuntu Backports
this provides new major versions of KDE and certain apps for Kubuntu which are not yet tested enough to go to Ubuntu Backports.
This is is where you would upgrade from KDE 4.3.x to 4.4.x in Karmic.
Kubuntu Beta Backports
Pre-release versions of KDE and major KDE apps are here for testing.
Right now, you can check out Amarok’s 2.3 beta here.
Kubuntu Experimental and Kubuntu Package Staging
These two are not for general consumption, though sometimes a single package may be placed in Experimental for testing.
Staging is where packages are built before moving into one of the other PPAs, and as such will contain broken or missing packages that may eat your kittens. So DO NOT USE this at all.
I have posted several times that I think the Ubuntu ecosystem is too large for official releases to be reliably tested, and that default Ubuntu packages plus some other core ones should be the only thing in Main, Restricted, and Universe. The number of default application might even be reduced in order to make the OSmore modular. Other projects (Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and the like) should be moved to PPAs, and the MOTUs should all be there, as well. The Software Center would then give access to the most common and useful PPAs as necessary (kind of the way Ubuntu Tweak does now).
Moving a lot of the currently semi-supported packages into PPAs would free up the Ubuntu team to concentrate on delivering a manageable, functional OS that is still infinitely extendable. This method would have the side benefit of allowing updates to non-default software as new versions become available.
ITS