Best way to have latest SWIPL on Ubuntu 19.10

Installing
1

I’m a rank beginner and I’d like to have the latest version of SWIPL on my Ubuntu 19.10 64-bit. The PPA is out of date (has no 19.10 version). Latest Ubuntu version otherwise is 7.6.4.

2

There must be something wrong with your PPA setup. All releases are made available for all current Ubuntu versions. See https://launchpad.net/~swi-prolog/+archive/ubuntu/devel

They are only available for all Ubuntu versions at the moment of release. So the stable 8.0.3 is probably not around for 19.10. 8.1.22 should be fine though.

3

I just installed SWI-Prolog following Installing from PPA (Ubuntu Personal Package Archive) onto Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS which is running in WSL 1.

Upon startup

Welcome to SWI-Prolog (threaded, 64 bits, version 8.1.22)

4 
Err:26 http://ppa.launchpad.net/swi-prolog/stable/ubuntu eoan Release                   
  404  Not Found [IP: 91.189.95.83 80]
Reading package lists... Done
E: The repository 'http://ppa.launchpad.net/swi-prolog/stable/ubuntu eoan Release' does not have a Release file.

Nothing wrong with my PPA setup.

So I should try the development ppa and not stable?

5

Of course, you can’t do worse than not trying.

I have been using the development version for about a year without problems. Unless you are using the code that is actively being developed like tabling or rational numbers you probably won’t have any problems.

6

So should I do an uninstall/purge on the Ubuntu repo 7.6.4 first?

7

Based on what you have said, you have noting that needs to be saved from the install of any SWI-Prolog so if you are unsure then just delete them. SWI-Prolog can be installed over an existing SWI-Prolog and I have done this without problems numerous times on Windows.

My best advise for you is to just take notes as you go and move on. You seem to be knowledgeable enough to find that if you have a problem you will know it. Try something and if it doesn’t work, try something else. The taking of the notes is so that you are not repeating the same mistake over.

As the quote goes

A master has done it more ways wrong than a beginner has done it.

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8

This all worked. Got 8.1.22 for x86_64-linux. Thanks.

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9

No need for the thanks, you did all the work, we just held up some sign post.

A better way to give thanks on this site is to click on the heart. Each response has one so you can click away all you like.

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