Is it just me or does Ubuntu require more PPA's than ever?

[Stray Wolf]

I'm running 11.10 simply to get used to the interface for 12.04. Medibuntu repositories have always been a must. But now so many aspects of customization and functionality seem to require adding a PPA. If you want to add scopes, you need a PPA. You want to modify lightdm through GUI, you need a PPA. Has anyone else noticed the increased need to add PPA's?

[Copper Bezel]

Meh, no. Modifying GDM always took hacks, so having a GUI tool to modify LDM is a step up. There are just new tools available, and I don't know about you, but I've become more aware of the tools available to me over time and become used to having certain features available. I really think it's less that the system is getting more dependent on PPAs and more that users are likely to do so.

[ubiquitin.jf]

Medibuntu? Crikey, I haven't used that since Hardy.

[qamelian]

Not really. I don't use any PPAs any more. As for Medibuntu, it's been a couple years since I've used it. The open-source implementations of the various codecs work just fine for all my media, so I don't have any use for Medibuntu any longer.

[CharlesA]

The only PPA I use is for Firefox.

Of course, I'm running 10.04, not 11.04, or 11.10.

[Copper Bezel]

Yeah, I haven't used Medibuntu for quite some time. I do want to clarify that I do use PPAs - eight at the moment - and that some of them are necessities, like Jupiter and Aapo Rantalainen's synaptics tweak, for my hardware. I've just never really found myself missing a feature that's suddenly no longer available through software in the default repositories and happened to find a replacement for it that required adding a PPA.

The only PPA I have for extra configuration of default software is for Gnome Shell's user theme extension. If I were using Unity, I know there are a couple of tools out there that add a couple of configuration options, but they seem even less necessary.

Edit: The others, incidentally, are for Faenza, Synapse, Chrome, Google Talk, and Glippy.

[Perfect Storm]

I just think that everything comes with a PPA nowadays, that's why. Back in the non-ppa days on Ubuntu, if you want newer versions of something, you had to;

a) Hope that X application had an Ubuntu/Debian package available on their homepage (which was rarely).

b) compile from the source

c) wait for the next Ubuntu release.


Also back then you had to enable universe and multiverse which was by default disabled.

[Giant Speck]

I use PPAs so much nowadays that a PPA is the first thing I search for when I want some sort of software.

[koleoptero]

Kubuntu has been a relief for me in this area. Ever since I switched to it I use 0 ppas. The fact that some apps are upgraded is also lessening the need to have a ppa for everything (i.e. firefox).

[castrojo]

If you want to add scopes, you need a PPA.

These are being collected and put into the software center; when I run into something that needs a PPA I usually file a bug and tell the person who wrote it to check developer.ubuntu.com on how to submit their software.

[FuturePilot]

I just think that everything comes with a PPA nowadays, that's why. Back in the non-ppa days on Ubuntu, if you want newer versions of something, you had to;

a) Hope that X application had an Ubuntu/Debian package available on their homepage (which was rarely).

b) compile from the source

c) wait for the next Ubuntu release.


Also back then you had to enable universe and multiverse which was by default disabled.

d) hope that someone had enough time to package things themselves and run their own repository. If anyone remembers Beryl.

[frup]

If anything I need less than ever, but I'm also more easily bored by the latest and greatest tweak etc. and I don't have the time to play on computers like I used to.

[mips]

All these PPAs are a pain in the butt I reckon. They should rather have something similar to Arch's AUR where everything is in one place.

[Stray Wolf]

Medibuntu? Crikey, I haven't used that since Hardy.

Really!? I just got in the habit of installing Medibuntu maybe... seemed to me like a lot of DVD's didn't play without it. Is that different now?

[CarpKing]

d) hope that someone had enough time to package things themselves and run their own repository. If anyone remembers Beryl.

Oh man, Beryl. That really takes me back...

[Jesus_Valdez]

I actually have less PPA that before; but is probably related to the fact that my time wanting to run the latest past a time ago.