Thankfully to community developers there are at least four ways to install software in Ubuntu. In this post I will describe the easiest ways to get some new application installed: using Synaptic Package Manager, Ubuntu Software Center, Gdebi and aptitude way (command line).
This is the graphical tool to fetch and install software through Ubuntu software channels also known as software sources. Synaptic Package Manager shows the list of software available in those sources and allows Ubuntu user to install in a few clicks.
1. Go to Ubuntu main menu –> Synaptic Package Manager and browse through categories to find necessary application or use Quick Search:
2. You can mark for installation many applications and install all of them by pressing Apply button — in a few minutes Ubuntu will download and install applications marked for installation as well as all necessary libraries and dependencies.
The easiest way to install software is using Ubuntu Software Center. This tool is extremely easy for Ubuntu newbies and makes it possible to install apps even easier than Synaptic Package Manager — just in one click.
1. Go to Ubuntu main menu and select Ubuntu software Center:
2. Browse through categories to find the application you’re going to install, here is an example:
3. Press Install button when ready to install selected application. While Ubuntu downloads and installs the software you can browse applications categories and put more applications into installation turn (select Get Free Software for this):
Ubuntu software comes as .deb binary packages which can be installed using graphical tool Gdebi or via command line (this is described a bit later in this post). Let’s imagine you’ve downloaded picasa_3.0-current_i386.deb package from picasa.google.com and stored it into your Desktop. Gdebi comes with Ubuntu by default and .deb files are associated with it from the beginning so just double click downloaded .deb package. Press Install button in opened window to proceed with the installation:
Aptitude is command line package manager meaning that you have to run it in terminal.
1. Go to Ubuntu main menu –> Accessories –> Terminal to open Gnome terminal window. In opened terminal window type sudo aptitude command and press return to start it:
2. Browse through applications and select some package pressing ‘+’ key on it:
3. You can select multiple packages but once finished press ‘g’ key two times to go on with the installation:
In a few minutes Ubuntu will download and install selected software.
You can also install certain application using aptitude by command (realplayer is just an example):
sudo aptitude install realplayer
P.S. Here is the command to install downloaded .deb file in command line:
sudo dpkg -i someapplication.deb
iMadalin
Posted on July 29, 2010 at 8:30 pma word about picasa:
it's not a linux native app,
it's the only app google still develops only for windows and uses a special way of packaging it with wine.
until a native app, to protest against this method i'm using f-spot, i only upload to picasaweb from it.
google should be ashame for this
@n3rve
Posted on January 6, 2011 at 1:19 pmThanks for the article, really informative.
DarkDuck
Posted on February 3, 2011 at 2:29 pmWhat version of Ubuntu Software Centre do you show here? Mine looks very different!
There are some things which you can do with Synaptic, but cannot do with USC! Say, old kernel removal.
ubuntu world
Posted on March 9, 2011 at 10:08 pmubuntu is the best easy and safe
Shaun Marolf
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 12:44 amI have used Synaptic many times to remove old kernels after installation of new kernels. Its extremely easy to do. You do need to know, of course, the kernel version you're removing. If you use Ubuntu (not Kubuntu) you can use ubuntutweak as well to cleanly remove an old kernel. If you're really brave and have some idea of what you're doing you can also use bleachbit as well.
henryconcep
Posted on October 17, 2011 at 2:02 amsynaptic package manager is not anymore installed on ubuntu 11.10 by default, they removed it .. if we want or simply miss it // $ sudo apt-get install synaptic // that’s it!
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Posted on December 20, 2012 at 1:21 pmHave a great statement shared about installing new software in Ubuntu easy that is really important allocation for all. In your article, there is much information given which is really instructive for all. Thanks a lot. Keep it up !
Jazz
Posted on March 5, 2013 at 5:15 amIts really a good way that every software is compatible to get the things which are made to the easy way to do the more Ubuntu way of it to make itHome Improvement of the same one.
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Posted on April 24, 2013 at 1:55 pmThanks man. I was looking for a tutorial on how to install software in ubuntu