What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

[Guest]

HI
I'm trying out Kubuntu.
I'm having difficulties with the KDE package manager located at Kickoff --> System Settings --> Add Remove Software. For me it's clumsy and jerky on my low res computer.
So I ran "sudo apt-get install synaptic" and that works fine. But before I leave things at that, I wonder if there is a preferred or recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

Thanks
swerdna

[dibl]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

Since Adept Manager has been dumped after 8.10, I'll give my opinion. Synaptic is what I use for package look-ups, because I cannot for the life of me remember the names of every package and library that I actually want. Then I use apt-get to install, as well as for upgrades (via apt-get dist-upgrade). I'm not sure what they were thinking with KpackageKit, but a package management tool that doesn't show the packages is pretty useless in my world.

Two cents' worth.

[flarson]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

Adept is back in 9.10, but I have to say a GUI package manager is pretty useless in my world, even if it does show the packages. Having seen the number of problems that happen when a GUI is used that do not when aptitude or apt-get are used I can not imagine why anyone is still using GUI package managers.

[Telengard]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

Adept works fine for me in Kubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04.2 With KDE 3.5. It is easy to find programs and packages, and shows all the information I need to decide what to install or remove. Since it is discontinued though, it may not be wise to install it on a version of Kubuntu that comes with PackageKit.

I don't normally use Adept though, because I'm already hooked on the power of apt-cache combined with apt-get. Once you learn the arguments and options to these commands, package management just doesn't get any easier.

If you want the power of apt-get, but would feel more comfortable with a user interface, then aptitude may be just the thing for you. Aptitude's non-interactive mode has powerful command line options, similar to apt-cache and apt-get in combination. Aptitude's interactive mode works very much like Adept, but with a text mode interface.

Having said all that, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using Synaptic in Kubuntu if you like it better. As you can see in other posts in this forum, there are other people doing the same already.

[lmilano]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

Synaptic. Way, way better than Adept. I am just posting a thread in the next couple minutes about one more bug in Adept. Adept has changed so many times, and I really tried to use is at every release, and it's always been a moving target, a continuous experiment. We (Kubuntu) should have stuck to Synaptic. I know it looks forwign in a KDE desktop, but it is rock solid and feature rich.

[marcopl]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

Do the kubuntu developers 'listen' to such feedback? Are there any avenues where there is two-way communication?

[DeathKitten]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

I used to use Adept, it made me very happy and it was easy to use... but recently (read as the last two releases of Kubuntu) it started acting very weird since it had become a neglected project when the Kubuntu team turned to this KpackageKit thing. So I've gone full time to apt-get.

I still feel like a newb, even if I've been running some flavor of Linux as my only OS on my home computer for over five years now. I mostly do things via the GUI, but despite this, I've found apt-get to be so much better. It upgrades everything cleanly and smoothly every time, it's easier to follow what it's doing than the GUI package manager options that hide all the details behind tabs and buttons and graphics, and it's just as capable as any of those GUI options, once you learn the commands. That said, I may be a little more comfortable experimenting in that area, despite feeling like a newb because I have a handy little book on my computer desk next to one of my monitors that I recommend for anyone who wants a good resource they can depend on when they can't reach the forums and they need to get stuff back up and running. Linux in a Nutshell, published by O'Reilly.

[marcopl]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

the news is that in 9.10 kpackagekit is being given the boot and adept is being reintroduced.

[Telengard]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

the news is that in 9.10 kpackagekit is being given the boot and adept is being reintroduced.

Citation please?

[lmilano]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

I certainly hope there is no more back and forth with this. Let's get _one_ freaking GUI adopted, and get it running decently! I wish Synaptic was written as a GUI agnostic library with a Gnome front end and a KDE front end.

[Rog131]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

the news is that in 9.10 kpackagekit...

A draft for the Kubuntu Karmic Koala Alpha-3 > Draft for serious! Alpha 3'll be next month - July 23rd

KPackageKit 0.4.1.1

Kubuntu 9.10 will include the latest release of KPackageKit. New in 0.4.1.1 are new notifications, sweet animations, a history feature, usability fixes and a more robust overall experience with less bugs.

> Kubuntu Tutorials Day >> The next six months with Kubuntu

[20:38] <rgreening> - So with Jaunty:
[20:38] <rgreening> * we further solidified the desktop with KDE4.2 and edged ever closer to being able to completely remove KDE3 from the CD/DVD.
[20:38] <rgreening> * We introduced some new default applications (like Quassel for IRC) and made some improvements to existing ones (like KPackageKit, Amarok...) and better media codec detection.
...
[20:38] <rgreening> - What are we doing for Karmic:
...
[20:41] <rgreening> KPackageKit - Use built-in notifications again
...

The Karmic repositories have the adept

Package adept

karmic (kde): package management suite for KDE [universe]
3.0~beta4ubuntu6.1: amd64 i386

it is same version as with the Jaunty. Time will show if the final still has it. If there is not maintainer/developer.

[jglen490]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

To each their own, of course. To me, Adept was a very good package manager and I was unhappy when it showed its emaciated self in JJ. It doesn't matter how many .deb package managers there are, apt is going to be somewhere at the foundation. So creating a poor substitute, like kpackagekit, AND simultaneously decimating the functionality of Adept was, in my not so humble opinion, a crummy decision. Yes, there is Synaptic which made through the winds of change with apparent flying colors. I've never used it and never really saw the need for it, but I didn't see the demise of Adept either.

O.K., so kpackagekit sits in my systray. Whenever the notifier shows up, I go to my ever-present konsole and do the apt-get two step. I've learned that kpackagekit is not such a good installer, even though in theory it's also using apt -- but I could be wrong about that. I can trust kpackagekit to announce available change, but until it gets fixed, I'm using the command line to actually get and install packages.

[flarson]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

To each their own, of course. To me, Adept was a very good package manager and I was unhappy when it showed its emaciated self in JJ. It doesn't matter how many .deb package managers there are, apt is going to be somewhere at the foundation. So creating a poor substitute, like kpackagekit, AND simultaneously decimating the functionality of Adept was, in my not so humble opinion, a crummy decision. Yes, there is Synaptic which made through the winds of change with apparent flying colors. I've never used it and never really saw the need for it, but I didn't see the demise of Adept either.

O.K., so kpackagekit sits in my systray. Whenever the notifier shows up, I go to my ever-present konsole and do the apt-get two step. I've learned that kpackagekit is not such a good installer, even though in theory it's also using apt -- but I could be wrong about that. I can trust kpackagekit to announce available change, but until it gets fixed, I'm using the command line to actually get and install packages.

If everyone did that there would be many fewer problems reported on this forum.

[aged hippy]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

Kpackagekit is about as much use as a chocolate teapot - in my opinion... and only needs to be used on one occasion.... to install Synaptic. 8)

[sabbathpriest]

Re: What's the recommended package manager for Kubuntu?

I have a 12 hours young install of Kubuntu 9.04 386 on a Intel Core Duo 7200 and an XFX 630i motherboard. I haven't installed anything or change any repositories or even looked sideways at it. I did an update of the system as is, nothing else. But when I try to update using KpagageKit I get an error. I hadn't had any time yet to work on it, but I'm thinking on installing Kubuntu 8.04.2. I don't know what to expect if I get error on a brand new install. It's rather discouraging. I was already dealing with the grief of losing Amarok 1.4.10 (Amarok 2 is... nice. Not in the same league, or planet, as 1.4.10). And this KpackageKit ugliness. And Firefox is not installed by default? :P
But I disgress.

As far as updates, I always open Konsole and type:

sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude safe-upgrade

It works beautifully for me.