Linux – Installing Node with apt-get vs PPA – What’s the difference?

Installing Node with apt-get vs PPA – What’s the difference?… here is a solution to the problem.

Installing Node with apt-get vs PPA – What’s the difference?

I

don’t have any questions, I’m just curious – what’s the difference between installing nodejs using only apt-get install nodejs vs. using Chris Lea PPA?

Nginx seems to be able to install well using apt-get install nginx only, but PPAs are recommended for install instructions.

Can anyone explain why I would take the extra step to install with PPA instead of just using apt-get install _____ one-liner?

Solution

apt-get is great for installing stable and tested software, although that means they’re no longer the prime time you might want.

This is absolutely fine for most software, but sometimes it’s better to use a newer, less stable version than an old stable version.

This is the case with Node.js, where you prioritize the latest version over “stability”, and you have the right to doubt that version 0.6.12 is more stable than 0.10.26, even though the latter has not been overtested on ubuntu.

Use PPAs for selected software such as Node.js, but I strongly recommend sticking with apt-get as long as it’s convenient (not in node.js). Carelessness when installing products from PPAs can eventually lead to system instability.

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