Tweak Ubuntu Software Sources To Stay Bleeding Edge

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already ahead of the pack since you run something other than Windows. If you are also running Gutsy Gibbon, now you can leap

ahead and get updates anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before everyone else.

We’ll have our system running the most up to date packages that have gone through an initial QA but need additional testing before they are pushed to everyone else.

Let’s take the red pill, let’s find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Goto System | Administration | Software Sources

Check every box, except un-check the CD-ROM since it’s really annoying (not to mention reminds me of Windows every time) to put in a CD when trying to install some software.

Now, hit the dropdown where it says Download from: and select Other.

Close anything you’ve got running that’ll possibly degrade your internet connection, we need accurate results for this, or there is no point in doing this step.

Click on Select Best Server. It will run a tests to find the quickest server (or closest) for you, so that you get updates faster. This part takes about a minute. You may want to run it twice to make sure it finds the correct server. It will automatically select one for you, just click Choose Server when it’s done.

Goto the Third Party Software tab and check any options there.

Here’s the part that makes an installation of Ubuntu possibly unstable. These are not settings to use for… the company email

server.

This should only be used for personal computers that are backed up, and you don’t mind occasional software breakage. That said, I’ve been using this for about a month with no problem.

Goto the Updates tab and check everything. Select what you’d like for the last option, it’s personal preference.

Alright, we’re done, so click on Close. Go ahead and run Update Manager under System | Administration, and check for any updates. With a little luck, you’ll have a dozen or more updated packages that will tickle your bleeding edge fancy.

Remember: With great power comes great responsibility. If you do happen to notice a bug on a package that was recently updated, file a bug report on it. Without community feedback, nothing would ever get fixed.