# Create a Personal Package Archive (PPA) Personal Package Archives (commonly called PPAs) are software repositories that allow users to distribute free software packages. PPAs are built and hosted on Launchpad and can be installed just like any package in the official Ubuntu archive. #### WARNING Launchpad does not endorse any software in PPAs. Make sure you trust the PPA owner before installing their software. ## Create a PPA Launchpad users can create PPAs via the web user interface or using the API. ### Web interface 1. Log into Launchpad and go to your profile page at `https://launchpad.net/~`. For team PPA’s, go to the team’s overview page. 2. Select create a new PPA 3. On the Activate a Personal Package Archive page, read the PPA terms of use and fill in the details of your new PPA. 4. You must check the I have read and accepted the PPA Terms of Use box before activating your first PPA. 5. Select Activate. You should see the new PPA under Personal Package Archives on your profile or team overview page. ### Web service API 1. Open lp-shell on the terminal: ```default lp-shell production devel ``` 2. Fetch your user or team profile and store it in a variable. For a team, replace `lp.me.name` with the team’s Launchpad name: ```default owner = lp.people[lp.me.name] ``` 3. Using the `createPPA` endpoint, define and create your new PPA: ```default owner.createPPA(name="test-ppa", displayname="Test PPA", description="Create new PPA using API.", distribution=lp.load('ubuntu')) ``` 4. Verify the PPA has been created by checking the list of PPAs associated with your profile: ```default [print(ppa.name) for ppa in owner.ppas] ``` All parameters used to create PPAs are optional. However, you can’t create a PPA with the same name as an existing one. If `distribution` is not declared, Ubuntu is used by default. ## Edit an existing PPA After creating a PPA, you can change its details either through the web user interface or using the API. ### Web interface 1. Log into Launchpad and go to the PPA’s overview page, for example `https://launchpad.net/~/+archive/ubuntu/test-ppa`. 2. Select Change details. 3. On the edit page you can change the following: - Display name – a short title for the PPA. - Description – a short description of the PPA. URLs are allowed and rendered as links. - Enabled – whether the PPA accepts and builds uploaded packages. - Publish – whether the apt repository is updated. If disabled, nothing is published; for a private PPA no builds are dispatched either. - Build debug symbols – create debug symbol packages for builds in the PPA. - Publish debug symbols – publish debug symbol packages in the apt repository. - Processors – the architectures on which the PPA can build. Some architectures are restricted and may only be enabled or disabled by administrators. 4. Save any changes you’ve made. ### Web service API 1. Open lp-shell on the terminal: ```default lp-shell production devel ``` 2. Fetch the PPA you want to edit and store it in a variable. Replace `owner` with `lp.people[lp.me.name]` (or the team) and adjust the PPA name: ```default ppa = lp.people[lp.me.name].getPPAByName(name="test-ppa") ``` 3. Change one or more of the editable attributes: ```default ppa.displayname = "Renamed Test PPA" ppa.description = "Updated description for the PPA." ppa.build_debug_symbols = True ppa.publish_debug_symbols = True ``` 4. Save your changes back to Launchpad: ```default ppa.lp_save() ``` 5. To change the architectures the PPA can build on, use the `setProcessors` endpoint (the `processors` attribute is read-only and cannot be set directly): ```default amd64 = lp.processors.getByName(name="amd64") arm64 = lp.processors.getByName(name="arm64") ppa.setProcessors(processors=[amd64.self_link, arm64.self_link]) ``` #### NOTE The Enabled and Publish options are only available through the web interface; they are not currently exposed via the API. ## Manage archive dependencies A PPA can depend on other archives, so that packages published in those archives are available when building packages in your PPA. Dependencies can be managed either through the web user interface or using the API. ### Web interface 1. Log into Launchpad and go to the PPA’s overview page, for example `https://launchpad.net/~/+archive/ubuntu/test-ppa`. 2. Select Edit PPA dependencies. 3. On the Edit PPA dependencies page you can: - Choose which packages of the distribution’s primary archive are used as build dependencies (for example Basic, Security, Default, Proposed or Backports). - Add another PPA as a dependency by entering it in the Add PPA dependency field. - Set the Pin priority for any existing PPA dependency listed in the Dependencies on other PPAs table. The value must be an integer between `-100` and `2000`; the default is `500`. - Remove an existing dependency by ticking its Remove on save checkbox. 4. Save any changes you’ve made. ### Web service API 1. Open lp-shell on the terminal: ```default lp-shell production devel ``` 2. Fetch the PPA you want to add a dependency to, and the archive it should depend on: ```default ppa = lp.people[lp.me.name].getPPAByName(name="test-ppa") dependency = lp.people["some-owner"].getPPAByName(name="other-ppa") ``` 3. Add the dependency using the `addArchiveDependency` endpoint. The `pocket` is given as a string, for example `"Release"`: ```default ppa.addArchiveDependency(dependency=dependency, pocket="Release") ``` **Pin priorities** When adding a dependency you can optionally set a `pin_priority`, an integer that controls the APT pin priority used for packages provided by the dependency. Higher values make packages from the dependency preferred over others. The value must be in the range `-100` to `2000`; if omitted, it defaults to `500`. #### SEE ALSO For details on how APT interprets pin priority values, see the [apt_preferences(5) manual page](https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/resolute/man5/apt_preferences.5.html). 1. To add a dependency with a custom pin priority, include a value for pin_priority when declaring the dependency: ```default ppa.addArchiveDependency(dependency=dependency, pocket="Release", pin_priority=1000) ``` 2. You can also change the pin priority of an existing dependency by editing the `IArchiveDependency` record directly and saving it: ```default archive_dependency = ppa.getArchiveDependency(dependency=dependency) archive_dependency.pin_priority = 900 archive_dependency.lp_save() ``` #### NOTE Custom pin priorities are only supported for PPA dependencies. If the dependency points to a non-PPA archive (such as the primary Ubuntu archive), the pin priority must be left at its default value of `500`. Attempting to set any other value for a non-PPA dependency is rejected with an error, because a custom pin priority would never take effect for such archives.