Solus Help Center - Repository Management

UncleSpellbinder

Hi, all. I was reading through Solus Help Center and came across the Repository Management section. Under "Official Solus repositories" there are 2 entries, Stable (shannon) and Unstable.

Then there are directions for Adding a repository, Removing a repository, Enabling a repository, Disabling a repository, Updating a repository, and List repositories.

Does that indicate that there are other repos available somewhere to add for additional programs/apps not in the "official" Solus repo?

MikeK61

So far i know shannon and unstable are only for updates.
That means if your computer is bound to shannon your updates are fully tested and should work in most cases.
With unstable you are getting updates faster but those updates are not deeply tested so some minow issues can happen.

UncleSpellbinder

MikeK61 OK, that I get. But what about the other sections? Particularly Adding a repository, Removing a repository, Enabling a repository, Disabling a repository. That must mean additional repos can be added. If so, where are they? What repos can be added?

brent

UncleSpellbinder stable and unstable repos only. there are no more. edit: the stable is enabled upon installation. eopkg --helpis the ecosystem so to speak

UncleSpellbinder

brent Copy that. I'm just curious as to why there are instructions on "adding" a repo. They way it's worded makes it sound like there are additional repos one could add, apart from "testing".

brent

UncleSpellbinder They way it's worded makes it sound like there are additional repos

someday 🙂

UncleSpellbinder Copy that. I'm just curious as to why there are instructions on "adding" a repo

probably for the unstable testing. I will let someone else answer definitively.

**You will end up loving Solus and it's Plasma (I prefer Budgie) as much, or more than you do Endeavour's. Give it time 🙂

EbonJaeger

UncleSpellbinder When updating packages that other packages depend on, those packages often also have to be rebuilt. This is called a "software stack." To do this, we have to create a local repository on our own system so that the updated package(s) can be used to build with. There are no other official Solus repositories.

The Unstable repository is where package updates are staged and tested prior to being synced to the Stable (Shannon) repository, generally every week, except when something comes up.

UncleSpellbinder

Is Solus "Testing" equivalent to Debian "Testing" (SID)?

UncleSpellbinder

brent **You will end up loving Solus and it's Plasma (I prefer Budgie) as much, or more than you do Endeavour's. Give it time 🙂

I was using Solus back in the Ikey Doherty days. I used it from Solus 1.0 Beta 2 in 2015 onward through about Solus 3 in 2017. I then moved on to Manjaro, then Arch, now EndeavourOS. I have Solus on my laptop, and intend to keep it. Looking forward to learning more about the reborn Solus.

brent

UncleSpellbinder I found it in 2017 and never left. But I had to find Endeavour when Solus went lights out only to become reborn, a nice way to put it.

I'll leave you to your business! Since 3.999 it has really changed dramatically and it is going to change even more. Read about Serpent's (Ikey & Co.) role in Solus packaging and all the big changes coming. It's going to reinvent itself again soon and these are exciting times.

Even the single, stable repo concept may change. Dig it.

UncleSpellbinder

So, as I asked a few posts above... I'm curious if Solus "Testing" is equivalent to the idea of Debian "Testing" (SID).

Staudey

Apart from what people already said about Unstable and local repositories (which are indeed the point of the instructions in the Help Center), one small addendum: Some people at different points in time provided unofficial repositories, adding a few apps here and there, and in some cases even a whole new desktop environment. But those repositories usually run out of steam after a few months/years and get discontinued. I'm not aware of any existing ones (and if I was I wouldn't recommend them; just sticking to the official repository is best).

UncleSpellbinder

@EbonJaeger @Staudey - Thanks for the clarification! Much appreciated. I'm really loving Solus. So glad to be back!