I'm new to Linux and have recently switched from Windows, mainly after discovering its potential through Pewdiepie's video. I'm trying to wrap my head around how downloading programs works here. In Windows, it's straightforward to go to a website, download the installer, and install the software. But with Linux, I find myself using the terminal and typing commands to install apps, and I'm curious how that even works. Where do these files come from? I installed Linux Mint and wanted Chrome, but couldn't find it in the app store. So, I ended up downloading the installer directly from the Chrome website. Is there really a difference between using the terminal and downloading directly from the internet?
1 Answer
The apps you install via the terminal come from your distro's package repositories. These are centralized collections of software vetted by your distro, unlike downloading from random internet sites. When you use the app store or terminal, it pulls the necessary files from these safe repositories.
So, you're saying my distro has this huge database of programs ready to grab? But I assumed the Mint installation would have all that data, and it didn't seem big at all?