I'm sure many of you know about GetDeb but maybe some of our new readers don't. GetDeb is a very popular (for example, in July 2010, there were about 25144 unique Ubuntu Lucid users per day installing packages via) software portal that comes with an Ubuntu repository which you can use to install applications that are not available in the official Ubuntu repositories - this includes updated versions for various applications.

Good news for Ubuntu users: both GetDeb and PlayDeb websites are up and running again. Unfortunately there won't be any package updates this week:

GetDeb is a website which comes with a repository for easily installing lots of Ubuntu applications which are not available in the official Ubuntu repositories (mostly updates). PlayDeb is the same as GetDeb, but for games.

Both the GetDeb.net and PlayDeb.net websites are currently down but if you want to use the repositories, there is a mirror you can use instead of the original GetDeb / PlayDeb repository.

GetDeb is an unofficial project with the mission to provide the latest open source and freeware applications for the current Ubuntu Linux release, in an easy to install manner.

The GetDeb repository extends the official repositories by providing latest versions and new applications. Unlike the official packages, GetDeb packages do not have a predefined release schedule - new software versions are provided as they become available from their authors. There is a short and limited testing phase instead of a full testing cycle to ensure packaging quality, however it is less strict than Ubuntu's official requirements.

The GetDeb.net website has not been updated for Ubuntu 10.04 yet, however the GetDeb repository is already available for Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx users. There are not a lot of packages available for now, but more should be updated soon:

GetDeb is an unofficial project with the mission to provide the latest open source and freeware applications for the current Ubuntu Linux release, in an easy to install manner.

GetDeb v2 Beta was released today, adding a new interface, somewhat similar to PlayDeb. The functionality was also borrowed from Playdeb: it now features an official repository and also you are able to install applications by simply clicking the "Install" link.

The beta address is: http://beta.getdeb.net/

GetDeb is a website which extends the existing software options for Ubuntu (and derived) Linux distributions by providing major updates and software not yet available on the official Ubuntu repositories. They plan to launch a new v2 version which will provide a much better functionality to the website (they say the current one is very limited) and also they plan to launch an official Ubuntu repository. You can see the entire story and it's current status, on the GetDeb blog.