Hey, does anyone have any good sources.list files for Ubuntu GNU/Linux, the packages they provide are utterly horrible. Things like gtk-devel and libpng are missing. I think the Ubuntu people rushed this one a little too fast by calling it a final version....I thought Red Hat was bad when installing RPMs but christ, half the stuff I try to install in this thing doesn't work. Anyways, any help would be appreciated.

How about using repositories and packages from debian proper?

I tried that....didnt work too well, I backed out before I broke the system and removed the packages from it...they caused problems or else just wouldnt install. Ubuntu's people also advised against it.

Well, (from a my/debian point of view) they are doing something wrong then.

Anyways, fixing many enough (all?) packages, you will eventually have a working system.

Xandros and Linspire both have the same problem. Anyways...ive compiled most of it from source now...lol, i got tired of trying to figure it out...they are still fairly new...by the time they reach their second reach they'll probably have made it a lot better. Anyways, thanks for your help. ttyl.

Here's mine (/etc/apt/sources.lst);

deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 4.10 _Warty Warthog_ - Preview i386 Binary-1 (20041020)]/ unstable main restricted


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

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'universe'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ warty universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ warty universe

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

## Added by me
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ warty multiverse
deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ unstable main
# deb http://ftp.carnet.hr/pub/debian/ sid main non-free contrib

The best sources list is the one that is installed. Make sure to uncomment the lines for security, main and universe. The only repo you might safely add is Marillat (for none-free multimedia stuff) since it mainly contains stuff that isn't in Ubuntu. I have yet to install a broken package.
I have libpng10 and libpng12. libgtk2.0-dev is available in main.

Try searching (doing it in synaptic works fine) for the stuff you need. Use keywords like png, gtk and dev rather than names that other distros use. If you try to install a package without knowing it's name the fact that the package version sometimes is included in the name will cause problems (it's done so that multiple versions of the same package can be provided).

If you can't find the packages listed above (assuming that you have a full install and have enabled the Ubuntu repositories and updated your apt database) your install probably went awry. If that is the case I would checking your install media as a first step.

First of all: Do not mix Debian and Ubuntu repositories. Ubuntu was frozen from Debian unstable in June or July. The packages have been bug-fixed and patched ever since. Library mismatch is not funny. Don't go there.

Now talking about the wider perspective it is good that Ubuntu uses their own repositories. If the didn't they would have to rely on trying to force in the changes they want in Debian. Ubuntu and Debian have different release philosophies. Both fill their own niches. Several of the Ubuntu developers maintain Debian packages, it seems to me they should be in a good position to take a smart decision on this. Patches are provided back to the Debian folks to pick and choose from. It seems like a solid approach to me.