[Bug 782211] Re: Feature for adding PPA

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

Thanks for your suggestions.

The first suggestion is already implemented: USC does allow installing
software via PPA. If you choose "Edit" > "Sources" > "Other Software" >
"Add", you can enter the name of a PPA, and USC will show the PPA as its
own child item of "Get Software".

The second suggestion is based on the assumption that PPAs are for
"normal users", but they are not. PPAs are for software developers and
testers who are testing software from people they trust. (This is also
why the method of adding a PPA is relatively well-hidden.) Letting
people search for PPAs from anyone would be a security problem, because
anyone with a Launchpad account could upload malware that looked like a
new version of a popular application, especially an application that
isn't already available in the Ubuntu archives.

To the extent that PPAs are used for purposes other than development and
testing, it is because our processes for adding trustable applications
to USC are inefficient. See <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZYqT5PnPCs>
for a preview of the work going on to fix this.

** Changed in: software-center (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Invalid

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/782211

Title:
  Feature for adding PPA

Status in “software-center” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: software-center

  1.Software Center does not have allow installing software via PPA. In
  most cases, the user has to resort to the use  of a terminal. This is
  not so easy for new users. There should be an option in the software
  center which allows the user to enter the PPA name. Software Center
  should automatically download the package list in the PPA and allow
  the user to install packages from it.

  2. There should be a way to search for Launchpad PPA integrated inside
  Ubuntu Software Center. For instance there could be a subheading under
  'Get Software' like 'Launchpad PPA'. Clicking on that will list all
  the PPAs available with 'add this PPA' option beside each PPA. The
  search bar on the right top side will enable to search for PPA and
  packages. The PPA names can be individually listed below the
  'Launchpad PPA' heading.

  This is essential to make PPA installation easy for normal users.