The Basics

Ubuntu uses apt for package management. Apt stores a list of repositories or software channels in the file

/etc/apt/sources.list

By editing this file from the command line, we can add, remove, or temporarily disable software repositories.


Typically, the beginning of the file /etc/apt/sources.list looks like this:

 

# sources.list
#deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 13.10 _Saucy Salamander_ - Release i386 (20131016.1)]/ saucy main restricted

# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.
deb http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ saucy main restricted
deb-src http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ saucy main restricted
#...

 

Explanation of the Repository Format

 

Other Versions

 

Adding Repositories

Don't forget to retrieve the updated package lists: