Package Updates in Repository?
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Hi Trisquel users!
I was wondering on what basis packages in our repository are updated. I discovered that my version of "digikam" (the photo management tool) is from 2020 and Synaptic Package Manager tells me that this is the latest version available.
Now my question is: How and when do packages get updated in the repository? Why is the latest version not (yet) available?
Cheers,
Hein
I think that the versions depend on Ubuntu updating the releases of the packages.
If you are using Trisquel 9 then you are probably updated to the version that is availble in Bionic.
https://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=digikam&searchon=names&suite=bionic§ion=all
Trisquel 10 is Focal
https://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=digikam&searchon=names&suite=focal§ion=all
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Ok, I see. So basically I only have access to packages that were available for the Ubuntu version that my Trisquel version is based on?
Or is there a way of getting the latest version of packages faster into our repository? I'm also happy to help if there's a way to speed things up.
So basically I only have access to packages that were available for the Ubuntu version that my Trisquel version is based on?
With only the Trisquel's repository, yes. Versions of the packages that existed when the version of Ubuntu, on which your version of Trisquel is based, was released. Abrowser and LibreOffice are exceptions to that rule: Trisquel proposes newer versions.
Or is there a way of getting the latest version of packages faster into our repository?
You can install software out of Trisquel's repository. You are on your own though: it may be proprietary or even malware.
Like on Ubuntu, you can add PPAs on Trisquel. They are a simple way to install (and automatically get updates of) packages out of the default repository. In the current case: https://launchpad.net/~savoury1/+archive/ubuntu/digikam (see the "*** Install ***" section if you decide to trust Rob Savoury, who administrates that repository; not that I have any reason to distrust him).
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> Why is the latest version not (yet) available?
Trisquel is a Long Term Stable (LTS) release distro so the priority is stability over novelty.
If you always want the latest versions and can accept that sometimes a thing breaks and isn't repaired for a (possibly long) while, you can use a rolling release distro, like Parabola that is observing the same guidelines like Trisquel (https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html) and has the latest version of digikam.
https://wiki.parabola.nu/Rolling_vs._LTS is a good explanation of rolling release vs. long term stable release.
If you don't know Parabola, installation is more difficult because there is no automatic installer, you need to put all pieces by yourself following the documentation and there is no default option. It is much more effort than Trisquel but it is interesting. Installation is the big effort, after that it is much less effort.
Besides, I installed the alpha iso of aramo (Trisquel 11) on my desktop, it works well (I failed to install it with encryption on my laptop) and has a much newer version of digikam, although not the latest. You could try this on a separate partition maybe.
You can see the versions of digikam and other software at https://packages.trisquel.org/
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Ok, I wasn't aware that the repository is tied to the version of the distro. Thank you for all your helpful answers! I'm still new but I'm learning :)
For now, I'll go with the older version until I really need support for a newer camera model's raw fieles.
On whatever Trisquel version:
1. Download digiKam AppImage version https://www.digikam.org/download.
2. digiKam AppImage file downloaded.
3. Right-click digiKam AppImage file > Properties > Permissions > give
checkmark to make executable > OK.
4. Double-click digiKam AppImage file.
5. digiKam runs.
You can try the workaround above on your Trisquel.
Sincerely yours,
Malsasa
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Ok this sounds like a good option too for apps one can trust.
It does not get updated with this method though, right?
https://www.digikam.org/download/ suggests "you can use the AppImageLauncher application": https://github.com/TheAssassin/AppImageLauncher
It "integrates AppImages to your application launcher with one click, and manage, update and remove them from there". So I guess whoever makes digiKam's AppImage includes the so-called "update information", enabling updates.
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Cool, that sounds useful. I can't find the AppImageLauncher in our repository though, so I'll leave it for now. But it is good to know that this kind of thing exists. I'm still discovering that this is GNU/Linux and you can do pretty much anything with it quite easily haha
As always, thank you for your very helpful comments!