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Nice to Know:

Konqueror is KDE equivalent of Nautilus file manager, which is used in the Kubuntu derivative of Ubuntu. It is a multipurpose application that can act as a file manager, Web browser and universal viewer. As well as allowing you to browse Web sites, this application provides basic file management and can many view different file types.

6.5 Package Managers

One of the biggest differences between Ubuntu and other operating systems is how you install and uninstall applications. In Microsoft Windows, most applications provide their own installation and removal methods. Some applications provide a method to keep themselves up to date, but others do not and there is no easy way to ensure that everything on your computer is up to date. Keeping track of all the programmes that have been installed and keeping all those programmes updated is largely up to you.

Ubuntu has a sophisticated package management framework that keeps track of all the software installed, automates the process of installing and removing applications, and ensures that all the software is kept up to date with the latest enhancements and fixes. All you have to do is decide what applications you want installed, and then use a package manager to tell Ubuntu to install them.

6.5.1Types of Package Managers

Note:

Ubuntu includes a few package managers by default and which one you use depends on how advanced the package management tasks are that you want to achieve. This course covers Add/Remove applications utility and the Synaptic Package Manager.

If you open more than one package manager at the same time, they may not work. Close all the package managers and open just one.

6.6 Using Add/Remove Applications

Note:

The Add/Remove tool is the easiest to use and will enable you to install and uninstall many popular packages. You can search for the package or packages you want to install by simply searching a keyword such as ’email’ or by looking through the given categories, selecting applications and choosing "Apply" to start the installation.

You need administrative access to use any package manager. Type the password for your user name at the prompt. This means that applications can not be added / removed from your computer without your knowledge (and password).

1. On the Applications menu, click Add/Remove.

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Figure 6.32: Launching Add/Remove Applications

2.The Add/Remove Applications dialogue box displays a list of applications. The check boxes against the applications that are already installed are pre-selected. NOTE:

Many package names in Ubuntu are quite obscure, so the package manager will also look at the package description when searching.

Figure 6.33: Add/Remove Applications Window

3.If you know the name of the package to be installed, you can type the name in the Search box. Otherwise, you can click the appropriate software category in the left pane and select the check box next to the required package in the right pane.

Nice to Know:

For more details about a package, click the package and view the bottom pane.

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Figure 6.36: Confirming Changes

6. The progress indicator shows the status of the package being installed or removed.

Figure 6.37: Installing Selected Package from Repositories

7. After the changes are applied successfully, the package is installed.