Looking for software, including less free, proprietary style e.g. visual studio code, github-cli, spotify: What are the downsides and upsides of adding or configuring a Debian repository? Perhaps compare with installing from source (download a file and carry out commands from terminal) or even changing distribution 5.

  Or at least, what aspects are reasonable to be concerned about when considering whether to configure a repository in order to install new software on one's Debian?

• security: how does one know the software provided by the repository may be relatively safe e.g. the brand image of the distributor
• compatibility: how does one know that the software in the repository is likely to work with the distribution
• manageability: how does one know the number of operations on the computer to actually install the software may be large, also when having to update the software later
• ...

Looking for software, including less free, proprietary style e.g. visual studio code, github-cli, spotify:

What are the downsides and upsides of adding or configuring a Debian repository?

Debian wiki states reasons for the existence of unofficial Debian repositories. I ask why to use or not use such unofficial repositories compared to installing from source (download a file and carry out commands from terminal) or even changing distribution 5. Or at least, what is reasonable to consider in judging whether to add or configure a repository in order to install new software on one's Debian?

• is the repository secure, and how do you know?
• how do you guess whether it is much easier to install/update the software using the unofficial repository?
• and so on

Looking for software, including less free, proprietary style (e.g. visual studio code, spotify):

What are the downsides and upsides of configuring a Debian repository? - perhaps compare with installing from source (download a file and carry out commands from terminal) or even changing distribution 1.

Or at least, what aspects are reasonable to be concerned about when considering whether to configure a repository in order to install new software on one's Debian?

• security: how does one know the software provided by the repository may be relatively safe e.g. the brand image of the distributor
• compatibility: how does one know that the software in the repository is likely to work with the distribution
• manageability: how does one know the number of operations on the computer to actually install the software may be large, also when having to update the software later
• ...

Looking for software, including less free, proprietary style e.g. visual studio code, github-cli, spotify: What are the downsides and upsides of adding or configuring a Debian repository? Perhaps compare with installing from source (download a file and carry out commands from terminal) or even changing distribution 5.

Or at least, what aspects are reasonable to be concerned about when considering whether to configure a repository in order to install new software on one's Debian?

• security: how does one know the software provided by the repository may be relatively safe e.g. the brand image of the distributor
• compatibility: how does one know that the software in the repository is likely to work with the distribution
• manageability: how does one know the number of operations on the computer to actually install the software may be large, also when having to update the software later
• ...