The more obscure Ubuntu packages

[jhsu]

I haven't installed Puppy Linux 5.0, but I have used the live CD.

How do I find the more obscure Ubuntu packages that are now compatible with Puppy Linux 5.0? I know that in the Puppy package manager, I select one of the Ubuntu Lucid repositories instead of Puppy 5, Puppy 4, etc.

But not all software packages fit the main categories like utilities, office, fun, graphics, etc. The engineering applications (like Octave) certainly do not. So how do I find these more obscure packages? My prior experience with the Puppy package manager was with the older versions, back when the the software selection was skimpy. My only experience with distros with superior repositories (antiX Linux, Ubuntu, Debian) involved the use of Synaptic.

So is there a way to gain access to all 26,000 software packages in the Puppy package manager? Or am I supposed to use Synaptic? Or is there another way?

[GrumpyWolfe]

Hi

Go to this web page and find all you want.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/

Enyoy

[jhsu]

Hi

Go to this web page and find all you want.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/

Doesn't the regular Puppy Linux package manager offer access to all these packages?

How do those Ubuntu package files work? Do I just download them to any directory and then click on them in the GUI (like I've done with PET packages int he past)? Of course, if I can get Synpatic working, I can just use that instead of the regular package manager.

[GrumpyWolfe]

Hi

Yes you can just download and click on them and they will install and you will want to use puppy package manager other wise you may make it hard to uninstall for I am not sure if Synpatic will work if you have it in a sfs install or frugal install depending on how you want to call it. Now with a full install Synpatic mite work ok. I am not an expert just a suggestion.

[jhsu]

I downloaded the *.deb file for Synaptic and executed it, but that didn't fully install Synaptic. Although Synaptic appears in the menu, I can't get it to load. I tried entering "synaptic" in a shell but got the following error message:

synaptic: error while loading shared libraries: libapt-pkg-libc6.10-6.so.4.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I tried installing Software Center, but that's refusing to work as well.

The dependencies for both of these packages are a VERY long list, and the Puppy Package Manager is taking forever to load them up. Even worse is the fact that when the lists are shown in Puppy Package Manager, they don't fit on the screen, and the package manager doesn't even offer scroll bars so I can see the rest of the display.

In antIX Linux and Ubuntu, I had no difficulty using Synaptic.

So what am I supposed to do to gain full access to the Ubuntu packages that are the main selling point of Puppy version 5? (I'm using 5.0.0 as a frugal install on my hard drive.) Quickpet and the Puppy Package Manager only provide access to only a few of the Ubuntu packages. Synaptic and Ubuntu Software Center aren't working.

[nooby]

Not criticising anybody.

But did the devs of Puppy 5.00 promise that one could do such things?
What do they say about it? Just me curious.

[Béèm]

I downloaded the *.deb file for Synaptic and executed it, but that didn't fully install Synaptic. Although Synaptic appears in the menu, I can't get it to load. I tried entering "synaptic" in a shell but got the following error message:

synaptic: error while loading shared libraries: libapt-pkg-libc6.10-6.so.4.8: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I tried installing Software Center, but that's refusing to work as well.

The dependencies for both of these packages are a VERY long list, and the Puppy Package Manager is taking forever to load them up. Even worse is the fact that when the lists are shown in Puppy Package Manager, they don't fit on the screen, and the package manager doesn't even offer scroll bars so I can see the rest of the display.

In antIX Linux and Ubuntu, I had no difficulty using Synaptic.

So what am I supposed to do to gain full access to the Ubuntu packages that are the main selling point of Puppy version 5? (I'm using 5.0.0 as a frugal install on my hard drive.) Quickpet and the Puppy Package Manager only provide access to only a few of the Ubuntu packages. Synaptic and Ubuntu Software Center aren't working.

Please don't start more then one thread on the same subject, which for you is how to get synaptic to work to be able to install the more 'obscure' packages.
You might experience that people are not willing to you anymore.

[big_bass]

jhsu

Code: Select all

In antIX Linux and Ubuntu, I had no difficulty using Synaptic.

So what am I supposed to do to gain full access to the Ubuntu packages that are the main selling point of Puppy version 5? (I'm using 5.0.0 as a frugal install on my hard drive.) Quickpet and the Puppy Package Manager only provide access to only a few of the Ubuntu packages. Synaptic and Ubuntu Software Center aren't working.

Code: Select all

So is there a way to gain access to all 26,000 software packages in the Puppy package manager? Or am I supposed to use Synaptic? Or is there another way?

there wont be many people wanting to give you an answer for this " hot topic "without revealing some underling problems that most users have no clue what are the differences anyway
you have been with puppy since 2007 so I will answer this

but since the question was asked and will be again and again
lets clear up some techno details

if you want /need true 100% access to all 26,000 software packages
you would need to use a true debian based distro
and use their package management.


what puppy 5 offers is binary compatibility which is way different than
complete compatibility and access to all 26,000 software packages
its an attempt to leverage off packages built by another distro
using a distro that is always changing maintaining any control will be difficult at best for the fact that puppy has to have many customized packages to run correctly when you consider auto dependencies
using two different distros and merging them together you begin to understand that maintaining this is a full time job for a very very large team of people (like debian has )

now for the positive side I am also leveraging off a major distro
so there are benefits to have sources available to recompile
most of the packages from source but that takes the fun out of using another distros packages for most people

where slackware has an advantage is that their isnt auto package dependency filling (which is a good thing on a small custom distro like a puppy) which will auto break stuff too
also I use slackware's package management tools in the backend
and I wrote a new GUI for the front end


but 85% of the type of people that ubuntu draws to it will have no use for anything that resembles slackwares way of doing things at all
or they would be using debian

just knowing the differences between binary and distro compatibility will help you puppy 5 is binary compatible not distro compatible with ubuntu


P.S Larry playdayz is a nice guy if you need a package it would be better to ask him to make it for you or explain which packages you would need to install (which is the "puppy way" of doing things )


Joe

[jhsu]

Thanks, big_bass. From your response, it sounds like Puppy Linux version 5 isn't for the user who wants access to the 26,000-package Debian or Ubuntu repository.

Given this, I'm sticking with antiX Linux as my main distro. Just as antiX Linux needs the visibility (by being its own distro and not an obscure offshoot of MEPIS) and the user-friendly features of Puppy Linux (icons in the default desktop, setup wizards, etc.), Puppy Linux needs the superior repository (Debian compatibility) of antiX Linux.

[big_bass]

jhsu

Given this, I'm sticking with antiX Linux as my main distro.
well I tried both the base and the full cd

nice looks, too slow on live cd but I will try it installed this week
just for the package management

I like to build many custom packages thats one of the big reasons I dont use debian but debian is a good solid distro

Joe