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I am currently using the Ultimaker Cura that one can install via the Software Centre which is currently in version 4.8. However, there is a more recent version of the software available here (that is version 4.11). I can download the AppImage and run it but I just want to add a repository so that the newest release automatically replaces any old version.

Can anyone help me assemble the line: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:... if this is possible from the code available on the site above. Not even sure if this is possible.

muru
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Juan Antonio
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2 Answers2

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It doesn't look like Ultimaker have an official PPA or repository suitable for use with apt. There is an unofficial one according to https://thopiekar.eu/cura/ppa/:

These packages are built daily and are based on the current codebase, which is hosted in the “master” branches of the following repositories:

The stable PPA is using the code, which has been tagged for the latest release version of Cura. ... So if you are a developer and would like to fix issues or add new features, you probably would like to take a look at the master PPA. BUT for everyone else I won’t recommend the master PPA, because Cura might not work for a certain amount of time, your personal profiles and other settings could get lost.

If you feel like trusting them, you can use the stable PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:thopiekar/cura

But it doesn't have the 4.11 version right now. That's on the aforementioned "master" PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:thopiekar/cura-master
N0rbert
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muru
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  • Thank you @muru. Can you elaborate on what the risks may be? I am guessing someone could insert malicious code and I would potentially be installing it. That risk does NOT exist in the official releases/repositories? – Juan Antonio Oct 28 '21 at 03:44
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    Yes, that's about it. It seems that the person maintaining this PPA is active on the Cura forums, and you could ask there for the experiences of other users using this PPA. – muru Oct 28 '21 at 03:51
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The snap has an updated version.

See snap info cura-slicer to see the current version available.

Install using sudo snap install cura-slicer. It will the automatically update when the snap author packages an update.

https://snapcraft.io/install/cura-slicer/ubuntu

user535733
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  • Excellent. This one has the latest release. A question based on the comments from @muru in the first answer: does this pose a risk or are snap applications scrutinised the same way as other official repositories? – Juan Antonio Oct 28 '21 at 17:55
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    Snaps are not scrutinized (nor are most debs -- scrutinizing code is labor-intensive). Instead Snaps are sandboxed to prevent malicious software from making nefarious changes to your system. You can also audit the Snap author's code. Regardless of package method used, it's the human's job to determine if they trust the source of a package. – user535733 Oct 28 '21 at 18:05
  • Thanks for the prompt reply. In reading more about the differences (I must admit, until today I had no idea of the differences) I found these very relevant posts: https://askubuntu.com/questions/948861/why-would-i-want-to-install-a-snap-if-i-can-install-via-apt-instead and https://askubuntu.com/questions/1272173/what-is-the-difference-between-snap-and-apt-apt-get . Very useful to know. In brief apt is less resource intensive while snap may be more secure (and potentially more stable as well). – Juan Antonio Oct 28 '21 at 18:08
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    I hesitate to simplify that far. They were developed 20 years apart to solve different problem sets. It's hard to compare my bicycle to my dog. I would simply say that Ubuntu is richer using both, and that users generally get safe, responsive software using both. – user535733 Oct 28 '21 at 18:19