How to get source with apt-get source in Ubuntu?

Question

I need to install pure-ftpd from source and need to do apt-get source pure-ftpd but I get this message: E: You must put some 'source' URIs in your sources.list

I found some documentation about this for Debian on http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/ch-basico.en.html#s-sources.list but what URIs should I add to sources.list for Ubuntu and if I want the source for pur-ftpd?

EDIT: I found some URIs on Sources.List For Ubuntu Hardy Heron (8.04) So I added these lines to my /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy main restricted universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main restricted
universe

Solution 1

The source lines look exactly the same as the normal package lines, they just say deb-src instead of deb.

so just copy the ones you have now and change them to be deb-src.

Update - You may also need to apt-get update after adding the deb-src lines.

Solution 2

If you open /etc/apt/sources.list file, you will see commented out lines (starts with #) which have "source" on them.

Uncomment the one for universe (thats where pure-ftpd is). Then save and close the file.

Run:

> sudo apt-get update

And then you'll be able to download the sources.

Comments

[Jonas]

No, I have no commented out lines there :( only three uncommented deb lines and no deb-src lines. I'm using Ubuntu Server 8.04 LTS.

[Jonas]

Thanks. I would like to upvote your answer, but since I'm new user I cannot upvote.

[Sunny]

Would have been nice if you have put this info in your original question :)

[nimrodm]

You may also need to apt-get update after adding the deb-src lines (as Sunny had mentioned below)

[wisbucky]

Yes! Mine did not work even after uncommenting all the deb-src lines in /etc/apt/sources.list like other answers suggested. I had to manually copy the first 2 deb lines and change them to deb-src, then apt-get update, then it worked.