0

How can one notify Launchpad a PPA is malformed?

Context:

I am trying to install the current stable version of dossbox-staging listed at https://launchpad.net/~feignint/+archive/ubuntu/dosbox-staging

On Ubuntu 20.04, apt-get install dosbox-staging installs ver. 0.76 instead of 0.78.1

To see whether I am going crazy . . . apt-cache policy dosbox-staging

dosbox-staging: Installed: (none) Candidate: 0.76.0-1+ubuntu20.04

Version table: 0.76.0-1+ubuntu20.04 500 500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/feignint/dosbox-staging/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages

This indicates Ubuntu is using the "correct" PPA rather than the repository used by a default installation of Ubuntu.

Unfortunately, Launchpad doesn't let me log in (in spite of correct credentials), so I can not contact publisher "feignint" who may be the SE user @FeignInt

Improve this question
4
  • 2
    To speak with the owner use the "For questions and bugs with software in this PPA please contact" link, or file a bug on the package (it works; I just checked for you). Linux Mint is off-topic here though, and launchpad is not Ubuntu either (it's a site used by Canonical & Ubuntu projects, but not part of Ubuntu) Are you sure the SE user is the owner? Launchpad IDs do not always align with SE
    – guiverc
    Jan 25, 2022 at 5:38
  • While OP is using Mint, this is an issue with Launchpad package, and Ubuntu 20.04 is affected as well. However, the question remains off-topic, unless OP changes it to "How to notify the PPA owner that the PPA has issues", and removes all the Mint reference (which is really not relevant here).
    – Archisman Panigrahi
    Jan 25, 2022 at 6:10
  • @guiverc . . . I mentioned "Launchpad doesn't let me log in (in spite of correct credentials)" so I can not get the PPA publishers e-mail address. I certainly recognize SE and Launchpad don't always "align" but attempting thusly when locked out of other options seems like a reasonable next-best-effort.
    – FBachofner
    Jan 28, 2022 at 5:38
  • If you have issues with launchpad; why not raise a ticket there (or a launchpad support site) and find out why you can't login, or create a new user ID on the platform and use that instead. Doing that seems the more appropriate means to me (I raised a ticket earlier this week & it was resolved the same day; my attempts were deemed XSS attacks & thus denied.. that is now fixed)
    – guiverc
    Jan 28, 2022 at 5:44

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
7

As you can see here (the package details page), Launchpad failed to build the latest version (v0.78.1) from source due to missing dependencies. Therefore, launchpad still provides version 0.76.x, which was the last successful build.

enter image description here

You can contact the owner of the PPA to look package the dependencies in the PPA, and rebuild dosbox-staging.

Alternatively, download the pre-compiled build of v0.78.1 from GitHub.

The latest version is also available in the snap store.

sudo snap install dosbox-staging

It is also available on Flathub

flatpak install flathub io.github.dosbox-staging
Improve this answer
5
  • 2
    You may want to provide two alternatives - "ppa:feignint/dosbox-staging-weekly", "ppa:pmjdebruijn/pmjdebruijn" in the answer :)
    – N0rbert
    Jan 25, 2022 at 6:10
  • @N0rbert Thanks.
    – Archisman Panigrahi
    Jan 25, 2022 at 6:12
  • 2
    @N0rbert launchpad.net/~feignint/+archive/ubuntu/dosbox-staging-weekly/… also has failed builds, and launchpad.net/~pmjdebruijn/+archive/ubuntu/pmjdebruijn/… hosts a slightly older version (77) :(
    – Archisman Panigrahi
    Jan 25, 2022 at 6:15
  • @ArchismanPanigrahi . . . "Alternatively, download the pre-compiled build of v0.78.1 from GitHub." Thanks. I had already done that for myself, but I also have various people whom I help who are not yet quite up to that task. Meanwhile, adding a PPA is quite easy for them.
    – FBachofner
    Jan 28, 2022 at 5:43
  • @FBachofner if you have login issues on Launchpad, the ubuntu site has a contact for help with logins and such. Unfortunately, the only way to contact the person whoruns the PPA is via Launchpad officially, so that's the only way to really reach them, so if you can't login and can't get the email address from the user's profile, then there's no real way to 'contact' the PPA maintainer
    – Thomas Ward ♦
    Feb 8, 2022 at 15:26

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .