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Are you on Debian and keep missing packages or want some of the latest applications on top of your stable system? Say hello to the brand new Debian User Repository in the style of the Arch User Repository. It only got announced a couple of days ago so it's very fresh-faced and so there's not many packages yet, but it could end up being something revolutionary for Debian - perhaps anyway.

The creator, Hunter Wittenborn, mentioned how they initially started off developing makedeb, which makes Debian packages from Arch PKGBUILDs as they loved "Arch Linux's simple and efficient PKGBUILD format for creating packages". Another project, mpm, came later as a package manager for makedeb to make it even easier. So the Debian User Repository seems like the natural evolution of their ongoing work.

As an Arch Linux user myself (there's a joke there somewhere…) thanks to EndeavourOS making the setup easy I've found the Arch User Repository to often be an invaluable tool.

What do you think? Will you use it or contribute to it or do you not like the idea of it? Let us know in the comments.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Distro News, Misc
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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Bogomips Jun 28, 2021
For a workstation it could be nice.
And remove some hassle when looking at ways to make your devices usable (yes I think of old Logitech product like G13 keyboard) by grabbing pieces of software here and there that are not even for Debian distros.
nullzero Jun 28, 2021
hmm... And someone already packaged legendary there!
dpanter Jun 28, 2021
I'm torn. There's considerable potential for both good and bad.
It could allow an improved user experience where the regular repos fall short and Flatpak/Snap/AppImage isn't an option. But... there's no official Debian validation that the things in DUR are safe and benevolent. Security versus convenience?

The AUR is IMHO simultaneously the best and the worst part of Arch... will the DUR hold up to Debian standards? Can it?
Perkeleen_Vittupää Jun 28, 2021
What about the security aspect as some instances are pushing these "convenient" ways to install stuff? The authors of these packages cannot automatically be trusted and confirmed, so on. The software pulled from this "Arch style repo" are not sandboxed like snaps and flatpaks can be
Philadelphus Jun 28, 2021
Interesting. I like Debian stable, but must admit the slow package update cycle is occasionally frustrating. I already use the debian-backports repository but that only has so many packages, and not usually less popular ones. I'll take a look at this.
Shmerl Jun 28, 2021
That's cool! By the way, if anyone wants a newer KDE for Debian testing / unstable, check repos by Norbert Preining:

https://www.preining.info/blog/author/norbert/
Bogomips Jun 28, 2021
Quoting: ShmerlThat's cool! By the way, if anyone wants a newer KDE for Debian testing / unstable, check repos by Norbert Preining:

https://www.preining.info/blog/author/norbert/

Yes but Norbert is a more than vetted source compared to the article. And it is thanks to him that Bullseye will deliver a fairly recent KDE environment.
Frawo Jun 28, 2021
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This is super cool, I have always been missing the AUR in other distributions. Would be perfect if they also add something like pamac as well...
Grifter Jun 28, 2021
Woop woop, this looks great, hopefully someone packages replaysorcery, cause I tried to compile that sucker long ago and it was a mess. So if any packagers are listening, replaysorcery and depotdownloader would be useful =)
axredneck Jun 28, 2021
Quoting: Perkeleen_VittupääWhat about the security aspect as some instances are pushing these "convenient" ways to install stuff? The authors of these packages cannot automatically be trusted and confirmed, so on. The software pulled from this "Arch style repo" are not sandboxed like snaps and flatpaks can be
You can (and have to) manually read the PKGBUILD before installing.
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