Is there a way to estimate if the addition of a ppa will be harmful?

Question

I was told here, that it is insane to add repeatedly new ppa-s to the system, however sometimes it is the only way for me to install a program. Some programs have different ppa-s on launchpad.net to choose from, is there a way to tell, or at least make an educated guess, if one ppa is potentially less harmful than another?

Answer 1

Adding a ppa will not affect how the system runs. All it does is give the system another place to look for packages. The only way you could mess anything up is by installing the packages in the ppa. Ubuntu usually looks for ppa's at http://launchpad.net/ and there is usually information on the ppa's web page.