AptProtocol - Debian Wiki

This page describes two initiatives, which purposes are to make it easier for users to install a program, when browsing the web.

Contents
1. Package providing apt:// Protocol
  1. Aptlinex
  2. Apturl
2. Consideration
  1. Security
  2. Linking

A good explanation is available in the package description :

Package providing apt:// Protocol

Aptlinex

aptlinex : This addon allows installing Debian packages from iceweasel, firefox, galeon or konqueror just clicking on a web link.

For this to work, links need to have an url beginning with apt:// This package does not install the packages or download them from the web sites, it just launches apt, passing the package name to install as a parameter to apt.

aptlinex is packaged in Debian Lenny, but it won't be installed by default.
http://gambas.gnulinex.org/linexapt/ aptlinex (linexapt)'s Homepage.
The URL looks like this : apt://linexapt. It isn't possible to install multiple package at once.

It's inclusion in Debian was discussed in debian-devel mailing list.

Apturl

apturl : Has a similar purpose, but isn't included in Debian.

The URL looks like this : apt://,apturl,aptlinex. It is possible to install multiple package at once.
http://www.apturl.net/content/apt-get-converter - apturl's homepage

Consideration

Security

Some people consider that those product make it too easy to install a package (and therefore they have security concerns).

Linking

Most publication system (wiki, forums, etc...) don't allow arbitrary URLs, So they have to be configured to allow apt:// URLs.

A service like http://www.apturl.net/ solves this problem (since the link point to a webpage, not to a package). It could be integrated in http://packages.debian.org