I've recently switched to Ubuntu after using Windows and a MacBook Air, and I've been customizing my gaming machine to feel similar to my Mac setup. However, I'm confused about how updates work for .deb packages like GIMP, Chrome, LibreOffice, and Steam. On Windows and Mac, updates are usually automatic, but I've read that on Ubuntu, I need to manually run commands like 'sudo apt update' and 'sudo apt upgrade' to ensure these applications stay current. Is that correct? How does it all work for software installed through the package manager?
4 Answers
About Steam, when you install it using the .deb package, it should auto-update whenever you launch it. I previously had issues with the Snap version, but moving to the .deb fixed those problems for me.
Updating on Linux isn't as straightforward as on Windows or Mac. On Ubuntu, you have to trigger updates manually, and while the process is pretty automatic once you start it, it's not something that runs in the background like on other systems. Just keep in mind that for LTS releases, some software versions are fixed, so not everything will get the latest features straight away.
For the updates question, yes, if you install .deb packages directly from the repositories, they'll be kept in sync with your system updates. But if you download a .deb from a random site, you won't get automatic updates for that. Also, Flatpak and Snap are alternatives to tackle some of the traditional package management issues.
Your package manager will usually keep applications updated as long as you approve the updates it suggests. Just run 'sudo apt update' and then 'sudo apt upgrade' to make sure everything is current. I switched from Pop OS to Fedora, so I might mix things up a bit, but it should generally apply.
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