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Lobotomy? Isn't that for loonies?
Well, let's go get sushi and not pay.

Repoman repossesses your PPAs
every time Ubuntu upgrades —
and manages them every day in between.

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Quick install

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tecktron-studios/repoman
sudo apt update && sudo apt install repoman

What repoman does

Every Ubuntu version upgrade silently disables your third-party APT repositories — PPAs, vendor repos, all of them. Ubuntu replaces Enabled: yes with Enabled: no and strips any comments you've added. There's also a subtler failure: repos that survive the upgrade with Enabled: yes but carry no packages for the new codename generate silent 404 errors on every apt update run.

repoman catches both — and it doesn't stop there. Between upgrades it's a full repository manager: add repos from a one-liner or a DEB822 block, remove ones you no longer need, edit any field, fetch and install signing keys, and save a snapshot of your entire repo configuration to restore after a fresh install or on a new machine.

Features

  • Finds what broke after an upgrade

    Scans your system and flags every third-party repository that got disabled or is silently 404-ing for your current Ubuntu release — the failures apt update won't explain.

  • Guided upgrade workflow

    A step-by-step wizard walks you through selecting, checking availability against Launchpad and the network, and re-enabling repositories in a single polkit prompt.

  • Pre-upgrade compatibility check

    Pick a target Ubuntu release before you upgrade and see which of your PPAs support it. UNAVAILABLE repos show which release they were last published for.

  • Add repositories

    Paste a deb one-liner or a full DEB822 block (URL tab), or fill in fields manually (Manual tab). Optionally fetch and install the signing key in the same step.

  • Remove repositories

    Remove a single repository from the detail pane, or open the bulk removal dialog to check off multiple repos and delete them in one polkit prompt.

  • Edit repository details

    Change the name, suite, components, or enabled state of any repo. The detail pane writes changes back to the .sources file with a single Save.

  • GPG signing key management

    Add or edit signing keys for any repository — fetch from a URL, browse for a file, or paste content directly. Keys are verified before being installed.

  • Save and restore state

    Export your full repo list to a .repoman snapshot file. Load it on any machine to restore enabled states, create missing repos, and migrate your setup after a reinstall.

  • Annotations that survive upgrades

    Add descriptions to your repositories. repoman stores them as X-Repolib-Name: directly in the .sources file — no sidecar database, nothing stripped on the next upgrade.

  • Legacy format migration

    Works with both modern DEB822 .sources files and legacy .list format. Set a description on a .list repo and repoman converts it automatically on save.

  • Privilege separation

    The GUI runs as your normal user. Only write operations that require it are escalated via polkit — no running the whole app as root.

System requirements

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or later — Xubuntu, Kubuntu, Ubuntu GNOME, and any other official flavor
  • GTK4 and libadwaita 1.5 — included with Ubuntu 24.04, no extra packages needed
  • No additional runtime dependencies beyond what Ubuntu ships