I've been using Linux Mint for a few months and have installed some applications with apt. For example, I eventually managed to install the Minecraft Launcher from a .deb file, but only after searching through several guides and videos to find the right command. Even after getting it working, I still didn't really understand what the command was doing.
I've had the same experience with several other applications distributed as .deb files, while some of them still haven't worked out for me. Is there a simpler, more beginner-friendly way to install software outside the standard repositories? Would Flatpak, Snap, AppImage, or even a different Linux distribution make this easier?
3 Answers
If you prefer using the terminal, apt can install a local .deb while also handling dependencies: `sudo apt install ./filename.deb`. Replace `filename.deb` with the actual file name. The `./` tells apt that the package is a local file rather than something to search for in the repositories.
For newer applications, Flatpak is often the most convenient option. Linux Mint includes graphical software-management tools that can install Flatpak applications without requiring terminal commands. AppImages are another option: download the file, make it executable, and run it. Snap and Flatpak are similar in purpose, but you generally only need one of them.
For most .deb files, you can simply double-click the file and open it with Mint’s package installer, much like opening an installer executable on Windows. You can also right-click it and choose the package installer if that option doesn’t appear automatically.
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