How to Add Sources to the SOURCES.LIST File in Adept

If you go around the Internet and find a package that you would like to use, usually you have to install from a .deb file using a .deb package installer. These packages, however, do not get updated via the Adept-updater like the packages you install in Adept or Synaptic.

The .deb packages are considered “manually installed” and as Adept doesn't have sources in the sources.list file for them, they will not be automatically updated. In other words Adept does not know where to look for updates.

Usually packages that offer the ability to add a source to Adept will have this listed on their website. A source line for sources.list looks like this:

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid main restricted

The sources.list file can be edited in three ways: via terminal using one of the text editors, Adept, and Synaptic.

Type in terminal:

nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Scroll to the bottom and add the line. You can put in a comment before the line to make a note for yourself that you added that line. The result should look like this:

# madberry's lines

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ intrepid main restricted

To close the file, hit Ctrl+X, type yes, and then hit enter. The source is now added. Type the following commands in terminal to update the sources.

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install PackageName

Open Adept: kmenu>system>Adept Package Manager. Note this is Adept for KDE 4.

The default window.

Click Sources in the left menu (the big icons), and this window will come up. Click “Edit Software Sources”.

Now click on “Third-Party Software”.

Click on Add.

Enter the repository line just like you copied it. Now click OK.

Make sure the new source is checked. Click Close.

Adept will now start fetching the package files from the sources.

After this finishes, click Search and find the package you want to install.

Start Synaptic: kmenu>system>Synaptec Package Manager. 

This screen shot shows the default window.

Click on Settings, and then click on Repositories.

Click on the “Third-Party Software” tab.

Click the Add button.

Enter the APT line. Click “Add Source”.

Click “Revert” and “Close”.

Now hit “Reload”.

Package files are being loaded.

After the reload is done, enter the package name in “Quick Search”.