adding ubuntu repositores to a debian install ?

FatRakoon · 5 Apr 2011 at 00:28

My main Linux box is Sabayon. It has been such since a good 4 or 5 years now, but I have been doing some piddling about with debian based distros the last few months.

I have had Ubuntu 10.10 since its release and its been perfect for me, however, something went iffy, and I have thrown Debian onto it for a play again. I quite like the cleanliness of Debian.

The snag is, that my ubuntu setup, was just like my Sabayon setup, and utterly full of eye-candy, emerald glass-like transparancy on its bouncy rubber windows, flames and all kinds of utterly pathetic and useless junk all over the shop, but not only that, but plenty of other non-free junk.

I am kind of missing it with Debian.

Sure, I can do this and that but not the other.

So, I was wondering...

Can I add the repositories of Ubuntu into my Debian installs?

I know I could just reinstall Ubuntu and take it down to a barer install and build it up from there, but Im really waning to stay Deiban.

Heck, that sounds stupid doesnt it?

JonJ678 · 5 Apr 2011 at 01:29

Probably don't want to do that. Ubuntu is broken in a range of exciting ways as a consequence of not needing to look more than six months into the future. I'm biased by my experience of Ubuntu repeatly breaking itself, but the point's still a reasonable one. It'll be educational trying to blend Ubuntu and Debian together, but I think the novelty will wear off.

What programs is it you're missing? There are a few things found in Ubuntu that don't exist in Debian, but not many. Compiz deals with a lot of the cosmetic things (iirc...) and is available in the respositories.

I tend to add the multimedia repos along with accepting non-free and contrib, and it's very rare that I find myself compiling anything from source.

craptakular · 5 Apr 2011 at 17:18

Just google on how to add all the eye candy stuff you want on debian.

FatRakoon · 5 Apr 2011 at 17:55

I dont know what I want to be honest... I think its more down to curiosity more than anything.

Sure, there are a few apps that I could point out that I like from ubuntu that I cannot find in Debian, but its more of a cosmetic issue than anything... I mean I have installed a number of thigns onto my Sabayon setup from source and so I could just do it the same way in debian I suppose.