software respository in Ubuntu

What exactly is the role of the software repositories in linus or in particular the Ubuntu software centre.

In Windows I am familiar with downloading new software either from the developer site or reputable download sites, used to Virustotal or Jotti to ensure the program is safe, know about hash ....

In Ubuntu I find many programs in the software centre and assume that these are safe to use. Then again, these respositories are obviously not providing everything. Earlier today I looked at Chromium via the respository but got an alert that additional packages need to be downloaded from non certified source (or similar) - do I want to continue? Some packages were offered to me when trying to use youtube (macromedia flash) - what are the security implications in these cases?

 

Repositories are your major source of software in Linux. Not just for any specific program or OS components, but for everything, including themes, fonts, tools, security updates, upgrades, patches, etc. They are digitally signed and safe to use. And very convenient.

Think MS update for everything on your system.

If you have non-signed repositories, like extra ones you added yourself, you will be warned that you're installing from sources the system does not know about. Like working with a website that has no ssl certificate. Not bad, but you just need to know what you're doing.

Mrk

 

Well, in Windows I have learned how to treat these but in Linux I have no experience. How do I evaluate if something is safe or not?

 

Well,

1. You ask people who know.
2. Use the repos provided by the distro; these should be ok.
3. Don't go around the web hunting for repos just like that. Same logic as Windows.

Regards,
Mrk

 

Medibuntu is safe, PPA from developers are totally safe, apart from that, you go by consensus at the Ubuntu forums, you ask users etc.

 

in simple words repository are bundle packages manage or developed and then digitally signed

like mrk very well said Think MS update for everything on your system

for example you install chrome every time in update you need to find it manually but if you install it from repo or some how the repo of software is added in your default repo menu then they keep check every thing when update system .......... including the added repo if there is any update of that software update(chrome for example) .....................its also been added to update menu

linux make your day to day job easy just with single click you update every thing or even if you unable update automatic in background it will update almost every thing