Missing VirtualBox 1.6.0 debian repository for Hardy Heron

[Rexxy]

Hello together, I'm missing the debian way of installing signed virtualbox 1.6.0 by repository.

Did your team forget the debian ubuntu users who want to keep in touch of new releases of virtualbox by just adding the /etc/apt/sources.list? I used that way since spring 2007 and it worked like a charme. But now I tried to step forward with the following entries for Ubuntu 8.04 versions:

# VirtualBox debian source by InnoTek GmbH/Sun Microsystems
deb http://www.virtualbox.org/debian hardy non-free

No success :-( latest version working was

deb http://www.virtualbox.org/debian gutsy non-free

Ubuntu 8.04 (=hardy) was released two weeks ago. Hardy is a long term support version (desktop editions until 2011 and server edition until 2013). In my opinion Ubuntu hardy will be more requested than older ones.

Sure I know the binaries related to Hardy Heron can be downloaded at your Sun download center and installed the manual alternate way. But why running the hard way if you can get the best one like before?

And, did your team revoke that common usual download way with signed packages? If yes, will that be announced?

A lot of ubuntu users would like to have a download possibility at ​http://www.virtualbox.org/debian/dists/hardy/non-free/binary-i386/Packages.gz or similar.

An alternate will be to get the virtualbox from the ubuntu repositories, but do you have an agreement with the ubuntu repository staff to do that right after your release day?

Kind regards Roland

[Michael Thayer]

Unfortunately we will probably not be able to offer Debian repositories for future versions of VirtualBox, as we now have to comply with US export restrictions, which involve people downloading VirtualBox "clicking to accept" conditions.

[Duncan Lock]

I'm not sure if this would comply with the regulations, but would it be possible to have a 'Sign-up to the Repository' page and put the 'Click to Accept' box on there? If you tick the box and click the 'Agree' button this takes you to a page with the repo address & instructions etc...?

Also, there's no 'click to accept' or anything like that on the official download page:

​https://cds.sun.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/CDS-CDS_SMI-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProductDetail-Start?ProductRef=innotek-1.6-G-F@CDS-CDS_SMI

The license agreement doesn't mention export regulations and there are no other checkboxes that I saw.

Dunc

[Frank Mehnert]

This is just not possible with Debian/Ubuntu repositories.

[Simon]

If this problem is the same as with the Sun Java package, then there is a solution. If you install Sun Java on Ubuntu via apt-get, a dialog will pop open and ask you to accept the usage conditions. If the user confirms, the package is downloaded and installed.

It would be great, if you could look into this.

[Frank Mehnert]

That is not entirely correct. The package is already downloaded when you get the question. And the problem with the Debian/Ubuntu solution is that we observed it very often that the wrong debconf frontend was selected and the installation was just stuck and the user didn't know that the dialog frontend has raised a question.

[Michael Hughes]

Replying to frank:

This is just not possible with Debian/Ubuntu repositories.

So as a result of SUN taking over virtualBox, the package manager is unable to provide updates? That is contrary to the concept of a package manager. It sure was nice when my OS managed updates automatically.

[kai]

I, too, would appreciate it, if virtualbox packages were available to package managers.

Is there a difference in the licenses of Java and Virtualbox? Frank, you're suggesting that the package being downloaded already when the package manager presents the license could be a problem; this would be the same for Java, and maybe it is not critical.

Is there a place other than this one to voice this suggestion?

[Sander van Leeuwen]

We're working on getting back the debian repository.

[jthurn]

I too support the reactivation of a Debian/Ubuntu repository for VirtualBox. Most of us already know that allowing the aptitude update script to run daily, weekly, or monthly will ensure that we always have the most up-to-date version of the software with all its included bug and security fixes. It is in the best interest of Sun's open source customers to reactivate the Debian/Ubuntu repository.

If Sun has a problem displaying a license for the closed-source version of VirtualBox, I suggest looking at Google's Picasa, repository info at ​http://www.google.com/linuxrepositories/; Google Earth; or Adobe Reader, both at Medibuntu (​http://www.medibuntu.org/). All of these pop up licenses for the user to click agree as the package is installing. There may even be the possibility that Sun could set up an agreement with Medibuntu to serve as the Ubuntu repository for VirtualBox, though this would not aid our Debian colleagues.

[Duncan Lock]

Yay - this appears to have been fixed!

There are repo's for the latest version here (1.6.6):

​http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Just tried and they worked fine for me (Ubuntu Hardy)

Great, thanks!