In-depth explanation of Ubuntu’s source list file.

2 years ago
Sophia Anderson
3 minutes

source.list is a file used to configure software package sources in the Ubuntu operating system. It is located in the /etc/apt directory and is one of the configuration files for the APT (Advanced Package Tool) package management system.

The main purpose of the source.list file is to inform the APT package management system where to retrieve software packages from. It includes a series of software source mirror addresses, each with a keyword indicating the type of package.

Here is an example of a typical source.list file:

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal universe

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates universe

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security universe

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security multiverse

Each line in the document represents a software source, with each line containing the following components:

  1. deb or deb-src: indicates the type of software package. deb represents a binary package, while deb-src represents a source package.
  2. The source URL indicates the server address where the software package is stored.
  3. The name of the release version: indicates the version number or codename of Ubuntu.
  4. Component names represent the component of a software package. Common components include main (main software package), universe (third-party software package), restricted (restricted software package), and multiverse (non-free software package).
  5. Optional components: represent optional parts of the software package, such as backports and security updates.

In Ubuntu, you can manage software sources by editing the source.list file to meet different needs. Editing the source.list file requires root permissions, so you will need to use the sudo command to do so.

In general, the source.list file is an important configuration file in Ubuntu for setting up software package sources. Editing this file allows for changing how software packages are obtained, including which server to get them from and the type of packages.

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