A real front end package manager

[Princey]

To be honest, I LOATHE the new front end package manager in Kubuntu. Adept has gone from bad to worse in my own opinion. I had liked Kynaptic as it was pretty close to synaptic. However, I am now realising that it is no longer available in the repos. I wanted to stay away as much as possible from any GTK based application. Is there any QT based front end package manager available for Linux Kubuntu?

[The Recorder]

Re: A real front end package manager

Just updated to KDE4.3 Beta 1 - Now, in "System Settings", there is "Add and Remove Software", which houses "Software Management", "Software Updates", and "Settings" ("Edit Software Sources") all in one place. Fairly simple to use, and very fast (IMHO). I think it's the finished product of KPackageKit. Your wish has come true.

[Princey]

Re: A real front end package manager

To each their own, but I do find the current KpackageKit very lacking. Let's hope there's a big improvement in version 4.3 of KDE.

[dibl]

Re: A real front end package manager

To each their own, but I do find the current KpackageKit very lacking.

I'm no KpackageKit apologist, but it's not as though you are without options:

- Synaptic (if you MUST have a GUI)
- apt-get
- aptitude

[ubersoft]

Re: A real front end package manager

Well, yeah, but I thought the whole point of KPackageKit was to give Kubuntu users a qt-based package manager instead of having to install Synaptic + 500 gnome libraries. So far I've found KPackageKit a very unsatisfying application -- adept was clunky but at least when you're using it to install a package that requires another package be uninstalled in order to succeed, it knows how to do it.

Example: You want to install wicd? You can't do it in KPackageKit if you already have the network manager plasmoid installed because apparently wicd and network manager can't coexist in the same environment. When I use adept to install wicd, it marks the network manager plasmoid for uninstallation and takes care of it. KPackageKit chokes.

I can't install kernel updates with KPackageKit -- they always appear in the "held back" group. I can install them with no issues whatsoever in adept.

KPackageKit was released too early. Way too early.

[Chris Musampa]

Re: A real front end package manager

Kpackagekit crashes as soon as I try to so much as search for a package. apt-get or synaptic for me.

[kevinc]

Re: A real front end package manager

Upgrading from Hardy to Intrepid, there were lots of complaints about what happened to Adept, but by the end of Intrepid and upgrade to Jaunty, I wasn't having any problems with Adept.

Once I had Jaunty running, it was back to apt-get. Now I dual booting Ubuntu Jaunty and Synaptic there seems to be the same as when I was using Debian Etch in 2006.

There is a choice. Of course, it would be wonderful if the default package manager was excellent in every way. Let's help the developers to improve things by suggesting positive alternatives.

[Princey]

Re: A real front end package manager

I know there are choices, I'm an "apt-get install" fan. Just that sometimes, I can't remember the exact package name and the GUI provides a good enough solution. That isn't the case with KpackageKit. I have no problems installing Synaptic, but like I said, I don't want to start hosing my installation with a ton of gnome libraries. Why did they get rid of Kynaptic again? It's still in ArchLinux so I'd figure it hasn't be deprecated.

[kjjjjshab]

Re: A real front end package manager

I agree with Princey... it would be great to have a Qt4 Synaptic clone/port...Adept was close under Qt3 and then it morphed into a horrible gui for KDE4... and it seems like KPackageKit or whatever is copying that interface.

[Edit: I don't mean that as disrespect to the work that the Adept maintainer put into the project... s/he was very nice and responsive to any suggestions I had... in the end though, it just wasn't for me.]

I hate seeing updates every other day that are full of gtk packages... it would be super to clean my system of gtk and Qt3... probably all of kubuntu would fit on a floppy! :P 8)

[The Recorder]

Re: A real front end package manager

The KPackageKit that I am using in KDE4.3 Beta 1 doesn't seem to be anything like the one that I wouldn't use before I upgraded. Perhaps it is not as all encompassing as the "Update Manager" / "Synaptic Package Manager" combination, but it covers a lot of the bases that all of you have been discussing in this thread, and it perhaps will become more encompassing in the months to come. Continue your search, but I think that by the time that you upgrade to KDE4.3 you will be pleasantly surprised.

[ubersoft]

Re: A real front end package manager

I look forward to trying it out. I figured that sooner or later they'd get it up to speed -- I just think they jumped the gun when they made it the "official package manager of the Kubuntu distribution" for jaunty. They should have waited.

[Princey]

Re: A real front end package manager

I'll keep an eye out on it but does anyone know why Kynaptic is no longer in the repos for Kubuntu? I wouldn't mind get a 3rd party repo to add it. I still don't see the reason it was left out.

[Rog131]

Re: A real front end package manager

About Kynaptic

> Kynaptic silently fails installing certain apps (ie realplayer)

Michael Vogt wrote on 2006-08-16:

Kynaptic was replaced in breezy and dapper with the much better "adept" application...

It seems that the Kynaptic development was stopped 2005/2006. => No development, package will be dropped...

> Kynaptic

Jucato September 26th, 2006

.... Kynaptic was supposed to be KDE version of Synaptic, but it seems to have died....

Links:

> kynaptic 0.55 Debian package
> KubuntuRoadmap 2005-04-23
> features for kynaptic / Kubuntu-devel 2005-April
> My Page Name
> ...

[Princey]

Re: A real front end package manager

Thanks Rog131. I incidentally discovered that about an hour ago as once again, I went searching for a replacement because KpackageKit kept crashing on me [while installing java] (not sure if it's because I'm running 64bit.). Anyway, I had no choice but to 'dirty' my system by installing synaptic. At least, things will be better when installing rather than having everytime to search using kpackagekit and install via command line.