(New to Linux/ Ubuntu) "Update manager": how to find it and work with it in Kubuntu?

[Donn]

Bas,
> Several comments that came in after my recent mail on Thunderbird
> pointed on the possibility to update software from the 'Kubuntu' or
> 'Ubuntu' 7.10 'repository' by means of the regular 'update manager': not
> only for Thunderbird, but also for other software updates.
Yes, but the irony is that *only* the packages you have got currently 
installed will update. If you don't have TB (installed via the manager) then 
it will think you don't have it installed and will *not* ask you if you want 
it.
You can always query Adept manually and keep an eye open for the right version 
of TB and then manually install it when you are happy - from that point on it 
will be "part of the system".

Nutshell: Self installed software is invisible to the update system.

> repository, is 2.0.0.8 at present. One or two times I did find somewhere
> and somehow an 'update manager'. However, I do not always manage to find
> it when I'm looking for it :-).
Adept *should* put a little icon in your tray which will show when there are 
updates. It's a matter of click, enter password, wait for the updates, answer 
a question or two and then wait some more :)

If it's not showing up it might not have been set to run (or there just might 
not be any updates!) -- it's called "adept_notifier" and I confess that I 
have no idea how to get it started -- it *should* have been setup when you 
installed Kubuntu.

You can open a konsole and do the following voodoo to see if it's running:
ps ax | grep adept_notifier
If you see something like this [5807 ?        S      0:10 adept_notifier] then 
you do have it working, just wait for an update. If not, then ask again on 
the list - I'm sure someone with a brain larger than mine will help :)

> My question now is: where/ how can I find this 'update manager' when I
> need it?  Moreover, once I will find it: how can I correctly download
> AND install such updates?
In general, I think, the thing you want is called "Adept". Go to 
K->System->Adept Manager to start it.

HTH
(Your esteemed list member :) )
\d