third-party packages adding apt sources

From	Daniel Pocock <daniel@pocock.pro>
Newsgroups	linux.debian.project
Subject	third-party packages adding apt sources
Date	2016-05-19 17:20 +0200
Message-ID	<rAxTX-1sm-3@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
Organization	linux.* mail to news gateway

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More and more frequently I'm encountering systems where third-party
repositories have been added into /etc/apt/sources.list or
/etc/apt/sources.list.d, usually put there by some .deb package that a
user installed from some third party site.

There are a few things going on here:

a) the .deb format is convenient and respected so when a user sees a
.deb file, they have the impression it is easy to install and
potentially trustworthy

b) many upstreams appear frustrated about getting their package
officially supported in Debian.  Sometimes there is good reason their
package doesn't belong in Debian but sometimes it is more about inertia
in Debian or the upstream isn't aware about backports and thinks their
package will be stuck at a particular version forever

From a technical perspective, can we do more to prevent users being
surprised by packages putting new entries in /etc/apt/sources.list.d?

From an organizational perspective, can we do more to make contact with
such upstreams and try to find ways to involve them in releasing their
packages through official channels?  Is there any way we could gather
data about how many upstreams do this without compromising user privacy?

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third-party packages adding apt sources Daniel Pocock <daniel@pocock.pro> - 2016-05-19 17:20 +0200
  Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Paul Tagliamonte <paultag@debian.org> - 2016-05-19 17:50 +0200
    Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Bas Wijnen <wijnen@debian.org> - 2016-05-19 19:00 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources "Adam D. Barratt" <adam@adam-barratt.org.uk> - 2016-05-19 19:10 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Mike Hommey <mh@glandium.org> - 2016-05-20 00:40 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Vincent Bernat <bernat@debian.org> - 2016-05-20 07:30 +0200
        Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Antonio Terceiro <terceiro@debian.org> - 2016-05-20 14:00 +0200
          Re: third-party packages adding apt sources The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2016-05-20 14:30 +0200
          Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Ole Streicher <olebole@debian.org> - 2016-05-20 15:00 +0200
            testing is a tool for the release team (Re: third-party packages  adding apt sources Holger Levsen <holger@layer-acht.org> - 2016-05-20 15:10 +0200
          Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Vincent Bernat <bernat@debian.org> - 2016-05-20 20:40 +0200
        Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Paul Wise <pabs@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 08:10 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Tollef Fog Heen <tfheen@err.no> - 2016-05-20 14:50 +0200
    Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2016-05-19 20:20 +0200
  Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> - 2016-05-19 17:50 +0200
    Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Holger Levsen <holger@layer-acht.org> - 2016-05-19 18:00 +0200
  Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2016-05-19 19:10 +0200
    Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Daniel Pocock <daniel@pocock.pro> - 2016-05-19 19:20 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Bas Wijnen <wijnen@debian.org> - 2016-05-19 19:50 +0200
        Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2016-05-19 20:20 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> - 2016-05-19 20:20 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2016-05-19 20:20 +0200
    Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Vincent Bernat <bernat@debian.org> - 2016-05-20 07:40 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Charles Plessy <plessy@debian.org> - 2016-05-20 11:40 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Paul Wise <pabs@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 08:10 +0200
        Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Vincent Bernat <bernat@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 08:50 +0200
          Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Paul Wise <pabs@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 09:00 +0200
            Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Vincent Bernat <bernat@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 09:10 +0200
        Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Lars Wirzenius <liw@liw.fi> - 2016-05-21 09:40 +0200
          Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Martin Steigerwald <martin@lichtvoll.de> - 2016-05-21 10:30 +0200
          Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Martin Steigerwald <martin@lichtvoll.de> - 2016-05-21 10:30 +0200
            Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Vincent Bernat <bernat@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 11:00 +0200
              Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Martin Steigerwald <martin@lichtvoll.de> - 2016-05-21 11:30 +0200
        Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Martin Steigerwald <martin@lichtvoll.de> - 2016-05-21 10:10 +0200
          Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Lars Wirzenius <liw@liw.fi> - 2016-05-21 10:40 +0200
            Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Martin Steigerwald <martin@lichtvoll.de> - 2016-05-21 11:20 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Ole Streicher <olebole@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 10:00 +0200
        Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Vincent Bernat <bernat@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 11:00 +0200
  Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Hakan Peker <holypeker@manlymail.net> - 2016-05-19 19:50 +0200
    Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Vincent Danjean <vdanjean.ml@free.fr> - 2016-05-20 21:40 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Hakan Peker <holypeker@manlymail.net> - 2016-05-22 16:50 +0200
        Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Andrew McGlashan <andrew.mcglashan@affinityvision.com.au> - 2016-05-22 17:10 +0200
  Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Charles Plessy <plessy@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 05:50 +0200
  Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Paul Wise <pabs@debian.org> - 2016-05-21 07:50 +0200
    Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Adam Borowski <kilobyte@angband.pl> - 2016-05-21 14:40 +0200
      Re: third-party packages adding apt sources Paul Wise <pabs@debian.org> - 2016-05-22 03:50 +0200

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