Install Packages On Linux
10.09.2019
Contents.IntroductionMain page:.Note: The Main page is available in multiple languages.Installing software in Ubuntu is easy, and this guide will show you how to do it.By default, many useful programs are already installed when you put Ubuntu onto your computer. However, you may need a particular piece of software that serves a purpose not served by the default applications. You might just want to try an alternative program to one which is already installed.
In other words, you need new software.If you'd like to get some background information on what's happening when you install software (which can sometimes be technical), read Packages and Package Management. If you just want to get started installing new programs, you can skip straight to Installing a Package.See also:Packages and Package ManagementThis section covers the basic concepts of packages and package management. You will learn about what a package is, the differences between different types of package and also how package management works on Ubuntu.What is a package?Software is a very broad term, and is generally taken to mean a program which you can run on your computer. However, such programs often need other resources to work. When you install software, thousands of files may be required just to let the program start!
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When you think that they all have to be put in exactly the right location, and some of those files may need to be changed depending on what type of computer you have, it can all get very complicated. Luckily, Ubuntu can look after this complexity.Ubuntu uses packages to store everything that a particular program needs to run. A 'package', then, is essentially a collection of files bundled into a single file, which can be handled much more easily. In addition to the files required for the program to run, there will be special files called installation scripts, which copy the files to where they are needed (amongst other things).Source or Binary?Normally, when someone makes a package for a program, they put all of the source code for the program into that package. Source code is written by programmers and is essentially a list of instructions to a computer which humans are able to read and write. Computers can only understand this code if it is interpreted for them into a form that they can use directly. One such way of interpreting source code for a computer is by translating or compiling it into binary, which computers can understand.So why don't the people who make the package (called packagers) just convert it into binary from the start?
Well, different computers use different types of binary, so if you make a binary package for one type (like an Intel PC), it won't work on another (like a PowerPC).Source packages are simply packages which just include source code, and can generally be used on any type of machine if the code is compiled in the right way. (For information on how to compile and install source packages, see ).Binary packages are ones which have been made specifically for one type of computer, or architecture. Ubuntu supports the x86 (i386 or i686), AMD64 and PPC architectures.
The correct binary packages will be used automatically, so you don't have to worry about picking the right ones. To find out which one you are using, open Applications → Accessories → Terminal, type uname -m then hit the enter key.Package DependenciesPrograms often use some of the same files as each other. Rather than putting these files into each package, a separate package can be installed to provide them for all of the programs that need them. So, to install a program which needs one of these files, the package containing those files must also be installed.
The first column is the name of the installed packages and the second column is the version of the installed packages as you can see in the green and blue marked sections respectively in the screenshot below.
Linux Software Packages
When a package depends on another in this way, it is known as a package dependency. By specifying dependencies, packages can be made smaller and simpler, and duplicates of files and programs are mostly removed.When you install a program, its dependencies must be installed at the same time. Usually, most of the required dependencies will already be installed, but a few extras may be needed, too. So, when you install a package, don't be surprised if several other packages are installed too - these are just dependencies which are needed for your chosen package to function properly.An example of dependenciesPackage ManagersA package manager is an application which handles the downloading and installation of packages. 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. Most people will only need to use the most basic package manager, the Add/Remove tool, which is very easy to use.Software Channels/RepositoriesWhere can you get packages from?Ubuntu stores all of its packages in locations called software channels or repositories. A software channel is simply a location which holds packages of similar types, which can be downloaded and installed using a package manager.
A package manager will store an index of all of the packages available from a software channel. Sometimes it will 're-build' this index to make sure that it is up to date and knows which packages have been upgraded or added into the channel since it last checked.There are four Ubuntu software channels for each architecture - Main, Restricted, Universe and Multiverse. Each has a different purpose. By default, only packages from Main and Restricted can be installed. If you would like to install packages from Universe or Multiverse, see the page for instructions on how to do this.In addition to the official Ubuntu repositories, it is possible to use third party repositories.
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Be careful, though - some are not compatible with Ubuntu and using them may cause programs to stop working or may even cause serious damage to your installation. The page (page removed - ) can help you to find extra repositories, and the page gives instructions on how to enable them.Installing a PackageThis section explains how to install packages using the various tools available in Ubuntu,Xubuntu,Edubuntu and Kubuntu.Via your web browserIn the Ubuntu Documentation, you will sometimes find sentences like for example:' To install this software in Ubuntu,:.