A typical Linux distribution’s software installation system has a lot in common with an app store. There’s one place you go to install most of your software and software updates arrive in one consistent way.
Install Software from Distribution’s Repositories
Most of the software you’ll want to install on your Linux distribution is available in its software repositories. Your Linux distribution likely provides a nice graphical frontend for this system. Select your desired package and your package manager will automatically download the package, grab any other software packages it requires, and install them all.
On Ubuntu, the included package manager is the Ubuntu Software Center — look for the orange shopping bag icon on your dock. Use this interface to search for packages and install them. You can search for a type of application like “video player” or a specific application name like “VLC.” Click the download button, enter your password, and the package manager will do the rest.
Each Linux distribution has its own software repositories and package manager, but practically all Linux distributions use a software repository system that works this way. For example, on Linux Mint, you’d use the Software Manager application instead.
The pretty graphical interface is just a front-end to the real package manager, which you can access in other ways. For example, you can install packages from the terminal with the apt-get command on Ubuntu. The graphical interface and terminal command accomplish the same thing.
Install Proprietary Software
Some programs aren’t located in your Linux distribution’s software repositories. This includes popular proprietary programs like Google Chrome, Skype, Steam, and Opera. Your Linux distribution generally doesn’t have the license to redistribute this software, so you have to get it from the source.
To download software like this ,visit the project’s official website and click the Download button. You’ll generally see a page pointing you to various Linux download links.
You’ll be prompted to choose the appropriate package for your Linux distribution. You should choose the package that matches your Linux distribution as closely as possible.
Different distributions use different types of packages with different file extensions. Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian, and similar distributions use Deb packages with the .deb file extension. Fedora, Red Hat, openSUSE, and some other distributions use .rpm packages.
Just double-click the downloaded package and it should open in a package installer that will handle all the dirty work for you. For example, you’d double-click a downloaded .deb file, click Install, and enter your password to install a downloaded package on Ubuntu.
Downloaded packages can also be installed in other ways. For example, you could use the dpkg -I command to install packages from the terminal in Ubuntu. The graphical tool is the easiest.