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A lot of websites encourage you (OMG Ubuntu...) to install ppa's but doesn't tell you how to uninstall it. On a default install it's possible to install a ppa by a one-liner but uninstalling isn't a one-liner...

Second: The names of the apt cmd's are strange -> 'apt-add-repository' and 'ppa-purge'. Why not 'apt-add-repository' and 'apt-purge-repository'??? (create an alias could help)

If I'm right, precise will have a 750 MB iso, so they should deffinitly add 'ppa-purge' to the default disc.

Is there a dev that could explain me why 'ppa-purge' is not installed on default Ubuntu 12.04?

Jorge Castro
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Paradiesstaub
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1 Answers1

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Software that is included by default on the CD/ISO is generally expected to be useful to normal users doing normal use cases.

Generally PPA's are meant for development and testing, not regular end user consumption as there's never a guarantee that anything in a PPA is tested and working:

If a user is using a PPA then the extra step of adding ppa purge isn't really that much more effort as that person should already understand the risks of using PPAs; that and it's easy to find in the archive already. Sort of like how we don't ship a compiler by default; the people who know they need it know how to install it already.

add-apt-repository can remove a repository with the -r switch, but all this does is remove the repository, it doesn't roll back the packages to the prior version like ppapurge does.

That being said, I've not seen anyone ask for ppa purge to be installed by default as it is. As far as adding an alias, you should file a bug about that.

Community
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Jorge Castro
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  • I understand your point but for me it is illogical to be able to install something without being able to uninstall it the same way. – Paradiesstaub Jan 31 '12 at 23:04
  • @Paradiesstaub In the end it is your choice to add a PPA to your system and use software from a PPA and there are consequences that you cant control. Since software in the CD is suppose to have usefulness to a regular user ppa-purge is not that important to have. You can enjoy and use your system without ever installing a PPA to it. – Bruno Pereira Jan 31 '12 at 23:13
  • I have updated my answer, the tool does remove sources it adds, what it doesn't do is the rollback to the version of the distro. – Jorge Castro Jan 31 '12 at 23:14
  • Thanks for your answers. The question was more a general one (I know how to handle ppa's). The reason I asked it was that the hole repository thing was hard to understand when I started using Ubuntu. People tell you how to do something in Linux HowTos but they don't tell you (to often) how to undo it. – Paradiesstaub Jan 31 '12 at 23:26