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I have an application on my system that has always been updated via ppa. I want to get updates faster than the PPA will allow and so I want to start using the deb file the package maintainer provides. Is it safe to simply install the deb file on top of the ppa packages? Will the PPA still update it if one day I decide i dont want to install updates from a deb file anymore?

vakulenchuk
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    Does this answer your question? [Are PPAs safe to add to my system and what are some "red flags" to watch out for?](https://askubuntu.com/questions/35629/are-ppas-safe-to-add-to-my-system-and-what-are-some-red-flags-to-watch-out-for) – Nmath Jan 12 '21 at 22:23
  • Define "safe". Can it mess up your package management system by overriding your sources packages with a `.deb` file that you found from the internet? Yes. Can you get infected by malware by installing a `.deb` file that you downloaded from the internet? Yes. – Nmath Jan 12 '21 at 22:25

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It might be safe...but it also might not. Similarly-named packages from different sources may contain different files and different dependencies. This may cause you a lot of headache as you tease out and attempt to resolve each conflict.

The safe method is to uninstall ALL packages from one source before installing replacement packages from another source.

user535733
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  • Also probably removing the PPA from software sources (to prevent future conflicts/confusion)? – Levente Jan 12 '21 at 04:36
  • This answer does indeed assume that you have the skill to understand (and control) which sources you are installing from. – user535733 Jan 12 '21 at 05:13