How to Add Apt Repository In Ubuntu & Debian

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Ubuntu, one of the most popular Linux distributions, is known for its ease of use and stability. It is based on Debian, another highly respected Linux distribution. While Ubuntu has its own set of software repositories, sometimes users may find the need to add Debian repositories to access software that is not available in the Ubuntu repositories. This guide will walk you through the process of adding Debian repositories to your Ubuntu system, including the precautions you need to take to avoid potential system stability issues.

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Why Add Debian Repositories?

Adding Debian repositories to an Ubuntu system can provide access to a broader range of software, including newer versions not yet available in Ubuntu’s repositories. However, this practice is generally not recommended because Debian packages may not be compatible with Ubuntu’s system libraries, potentially leading to system instability or breaking your system.

Method 1: Add Repository with add-apt-repository

You you can use Ubuntu software center or the command line interface (CLI) to add the repository. To use the CLI to add a repository, open a Terminal window and then enter the following command at the prompt:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa

You can fixed error add-apt-repository command not found if occurred.

For other hosted repositories, can be also configured by providing its reference as below:

sudo add-apt-repository 'deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu wily-getdeb games'

Method 2: By Creating Repository Files

You can just create a file in /etc/apt/sources.list.d directory. The file name must end with a .list extension. The apt package manager also reads repository configuration files from here.

For example:

sudo vim /etc/apt/sources.list.d/games.list

Add the repository paths as below.

deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu wily-getdeb games

It’s good to use one repository per file but you can add multiple repository references in a single file as much as required.

How to Remove APT Repository in Ubuntu?

You can remove an APT repository from your Ubuntu system if you decide that you don’t want to use it. However, if you remove a default APT repository, you will not be able to install software from it.

You can remove an APT repository using the Ubuntu Software application or the CLI. To use the CLI to remove a repository, open a Terminal window and then enter the following command at the prompt:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:libreoffice/ppa

If you have created a file under /etc/apt/sources.list.d directory, then remove it manually.

Conclusion

The APT repository is a great way to install and update software on your Ubuntu computer. If a software package that you need is not available from the default repositories, you can add an APT repository to your system and install the package from it. Apt Repositories allow software developers to publish their applications so that anyone who uses the Ubuntu operating system can install them. Anyone can create and publish an APT repository, and Ubuntu users can add that repository to their system to install the software that it contains.

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6 Comments

  1. Rob on

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
    LibreOffice test builds and backports

    This PPA will have what the Document Foundation calls “LibreOffice fresh”, the latest release of the newest series (but no alpha/beta releases).

    There is a PPA dedicated to specific LibreOffice major series which support a range of older Ubuntu releases too:
    https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/libreoffice-6-1 (“Fresh”)
    https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/libreoffice-6-0 (“Still”)
     (testbed for 18.04 LTS SRUs)
    https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/libreoffice-5-4 (EOL)
    https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/libreoffice-5-1 (EOL)
     (testbed for 16.04 LTS SRUs, EOL upstream)
    https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/libreoffice-4-2 (EOL)
     (testbed for 14.04 LTS SRUs, EOL upstream)

    Alpha and beta releases of a new major releases and the first release candidate of minor updates can be found at:
    https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/libreoffice-prereleases

    So much for other ppas.

    Please file bugs for these packages on launchpad as described in:
    https://lists.launchpad.net/libreoffice/msg00072.html

    This PPA might contain the release candidate that is assumed to become the final release even before it is declared so by the Document Foundation (e.g. usually release candidate 2 for minor updates).

    Most of the packages in this PPA have only experienced minor testing — in fact it is the place to enable a wider audience to test packages before they are published into the distro proper. In general, this PPA is _not_ for the average user to install without a closer look (if it would be, its packages would be in the main repositories). OTOH, it is _way_ _better_ to use packages from this PPA than using the *.deb files that The Document Foundation provides upstream, which are intentionally build against a very old baseline for maximum compatibility. So, _if_ you want to be on the bleeding edge, do it here, not with upstream *.debs.

    In general, users are advised to take a look at the changelog for the details about a package. If there is a specific bug that is intended to be addressed by an update released into the PPA, you are encouraged to test, if the update solves that problem. Packages published after the distro release are mostly such specific fixes. Critical fixes will be SRUed into the main repositories after testing anyway (later, with more testing).

    To return to the LibreOffice version from the main archive, use ppa-purge. see: http://www.webupd8.org/2009/12/remove-ppa-repositories-via-command.html for details
    More info: https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+archive/ubuntu/ppa
    Press [ENTER] to continue or ctrl-c to cancel adding it

    gpg: keybox ‘/tmp/tmpf5yudwep/pubring.gpg’ created
    gpg: key 83FBA1751378B444: 2 signatures not checked due to missing keys
    gpg: /tmp/tmpf5yudwep/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
    gpg: key 83FBA1751378B444: public key “Launchpad PPA for LibreOffice Packaging” imported
    gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
    gpg: Total number processed: 1
    gpg: imported: 1
    gpg: no valid OpenPGP data found.
    Exception in thread Thread-1:
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    File “/usr/lib/python3.5/threading.py”, line 914, in _bootstrap_inner
    self.run()
    File “/usr/lib/python3.5/threading.py”, line 862, in run
    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
    File “/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py”, line 688, in addkey_func
    func(**kwargs)
    File “/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/ppa.py”, line 386, in add_key
    return apsk.add_ppa_signing_key()
    File “/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/ppa.py”, line 273, in add_ppa_signing_key
    cleanup(tmp_keyring_dir)
    File “/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/ppa.py”, line 234, in cleanup
    shutil.rmtree(tmp_keyring_dir)
    File “/usr/lib/python3.5/shutil.py”, line 480, in rmtree
    _rmtree_safe_fd(fd, path, onerror)
    File “/usr/lib/python3.5/shutil.py”, line 438, in _rmtree_safe_fd
    onerror(os.unlink, fullname, sys.exc_info())
    File “/usr/lib/python3.5/shutil.py”, line 436, in _rmtree_safe_fd
    os.unlink(name, dir_fd=topfd)
    FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: ‘S.gpg-agent.extra’

    Reply


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