Since version 0.2.2 of Time Drive, installing Time Drive and keeping it up date has gotten a great deal easier.  Instead of requiring that you install from source, we now offer Debian based packages through the Time Drive Personal Package Archvie (PPA).  This article will briefly describe how to install Time Drive using that PPA.

Background

But before leaping headlong into the nitty gritty, let me provide a bit of background about packages and repositories.  Unlike Windows or Mac OS X, software on Linux is organized into a container called a package.  The package contains the files needed to run the program in addition to artwork and configuration information.  Any given program may require many other programs to be installed before it can run.  These other programs are referred to as dependencies.  Ubuntu and uses a tool for managing packages and dependencies called Apt.

The benefits of using Apt over manually installing things is that Apt figures out all of the dependencies automatically.  Further, it keeps everything up to date by periodically scanning the online repository (PPA) and downloading any updates.  In practice, Apt works much like the Windows Update service, only better, since it monitors every piece of software installed on your computer.

Installation Instructions

To install Time Drive using the PPA, we need to do the following:

1. Add the Time-Drive-Devel and Duplicity PPA to your Ubuntu Software Sources.
2. Configure Ubuntu so that it will trust both Time-Drive-Devel and the Duplicity packages.
3. Install Duplicity and Time Drive

Step 1: Add the Package Repositories to the Ubuntu Software Sources

Open the Ubuntu Software Sources by going to the System –> Administration –> Software Sources.  Then, select the “Third-Party” software tab of the application.  “Software Sources” requires root access, therefore, you will be prompted to type in your administrator password.

We need to add two package repositories to the list, one for Duplicity and the other for Time Drive.  Depending on the version of Ubuntu that you are using, copy and paste the following lines (one at a time) into the “Add Sources” dialog.  After each line, press the “Add Source” button.

For Ubuntu Karmic Kaola (9.10):

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/duplicity-team/ppa/ubuntu karmic main # Duplicity – Ubuntu 9.10

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/time-drive-devel/stable/ubuntu karmic main # Time Drive – Ubuntu 9.10

For Ubuntu Jaunty Jackolope (9.04):

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/duplicity-team/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main # Duplicity – Ubuntu 9.04

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/time-drive-devel/stable/ubuntu jaunty main # Time-Drive – Ubuntu 9.04

For Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex (8.10):

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/duplicity-team/ppa/ubuntu intrepid main # Duplicity – Ubuntu 8.10

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/time-drive-devel/stable/ubuntu intrepid main # Time-Drive – Ubuntu 8.10

When finished, press the “Close” button.  Ubuntu should then notify you that the software information is out of date and needs to be updated.  Instead of clicking “Reload,” click the “Close” button.  We will refresh Apt from the command line in Step 3.

Step 2: Configure Apt to Trust Time Drive and Duplicity Packages

After adding the repository information, you will then need to add the repository key to your system’s list of trusted keys.  This is most easily done by running the update-launchpad shell script.  (To download, right click on the link and select “Save As”.)  When run, the script automatically downloads any needed signing keys and automatically add them to the “Trusted Sources” list.

To run the script, go to Accessories –> Terminal and navigate to where you saved the file, then type:

cd /path/to/folder
sudo bash update-launchpad.sh UbuntuVersion

Be sure to substitute the correct Ubuntu code name for UbuntuVersion in the second step – karmic for 9.10, jaunty for 9.04, or intrepid for 8.10 – otherwise, you will get an error.  I happen to use Ubuntu 9.04, therefore, for my setup, I would type the following:

sudo bash update-launchpad.sh jaunty

Step 3: Install Duplicity and Time Drive

Finally, we are ready to install Time Drive and Duplicity.  From the command line, refresh the package lists by typing:

sudo apt-get update

Then, to install time-drive and duplicity, type:

sudo apt-get install time-drive duplicity

Application Updates

As noted above, whenever a new version of Time Drive, Duplicity, or another dependency is added to the package repository, your system will automatically be updated.  However, should you upgrade your system to a newer version of  Ubuntu, you will need to return to this page to add the repository for that version.

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Note: These instructions were modified from this tutorial on WineHQ.

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Categories: Computer, Cool Stuff, Programming
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