I just finished setting up a dual boot with Ubuntu and Windows, which took a couple of hours. Now that I can choose between the two when I start my computer, I'm interested in installing applications on my Ubuntu system. However, I'm struggling to find a comprehensive guide on the best approach. The easiest way seems to be using the app center, but I've heard a lot of negative feedback about Snap packages.
I've been trying to use APT instead, but I'm not quite sure about the installation pattern. Here's what I think I know so far:
- `apt update` updates the list of available package versions from the repositories.
- `apt upgrade` compares installed versions with those in the repositories and upgrades any apps that are out of date.
What confuses me is how to find the correct way to install applications. For example, I've looked for Visual Studio Code but only found a .deb file to download, and I'm not sure if that's intended for APT.
In summary, I need guidance on the best practices for installing applications on Ubuntu Desktop, and tips on how to find the official names of these apps. I don't need everything up to date, just the essentials to start coding, like Postman, Docker Compose, Docker Desktop, DataGrip, Node, and Git.
1 Answer
To install software on Ubuntu, you can definitely use the terminal and the APT package manager! You're on the right track with your commands:
- Running `sudo apt update` is essential as it refreshes the list of available packages and their versions.
- And `sudo apt upgrade` will actually update those packages you already have.
If you're looking for a specific package, just use `apt search ` to locate it. For example, if you want to install Visual Studio Code, you can search for it first. Using the terminal is usually more reliable than the software center. Also, many libraries have APT repositories that you can add to your system for easier installation.
Wow, I had no idea you could search for packages like that! Thanks for the tip!