Ubuntu: Up and Running

Summary

Each of the four methods covered in this chapter for installing and removing programs has its pros and cons, and also its own supporters in the Ubuntu community.

Whichever you choose is entirely up to you, although I would recommend that you try to install new programs using the Ubuntu Software Center. Drivers and other packages that you cannot locate in the Software Center may well be installable using Synaptic.

The program you are least likely to run, and which I also recommend the least, is Aptitude. Although it’s powerful and fast, it does take some getting used to, and in my view is superseded by the Software Center and Synaptic. On the other hand, whenever you are in an environment without access to a graphical desktop, Aptitude will do everything you need.

But I’m afraid there’s no getting away from the command line and apt-get; sometimes this will be the only way for you to quickly install or remove a program without going through a whole lot of pointing and clicking. It’s also the method most experts provide for installing packages when you ask them for advice. And once you’ve tried it, you’ll probably find that the Ubuntu command line isn’t that hard after all.

So, now that you have the tools for adding programs to your computer, the next chapter will cover maintaining it and keeping it secure.