Ubuntu Software Center

25Sep09

Ubuntu Software Center, previously known as Ubuntu App Center and Ubuntu Software Store, is a new package management application for the Ubuntu Linux distribution.  It’s already available for users running pre-release versions of Ubuntu 9.10, the next scheduled release of the Linux distribution.

Basically what the Ubuntu Software Center does at this point is just install and uninstall applications (aka “packages”) in the Ubuntu repository.  When Ubuntu 10.04 comes around, it sounds like the Ubuntu Software Center will replace key package management applications like Synaptic, Gdebi, Software Sources, and possibly even Update Manager.

Here’s what the main screen of the Ubuntu Software Center looks like:

Finding new software is very easy, you can either search for the software or browse by category.  The main interface doesn’t look too much like Add/Remove, one of its soon-to-be predecessors. When you find software of interest, you can bring up the software description by clicking on the title bar.  There currently are plans to allow user reviews in the future, which could prove useful.

If you’re running Ubuntu 9.10, you can install the Ubuntu Software Center by running the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install software-center

You should then be able to find the Ubuntu Software Center launcher under the “System” menu.

Let’s say someone would like to find a description of the Code::Blocks IDE in the software center.  After locating the software either by searching for it or finding it under the programming category, this is what they would see:

And here’s what it would look like if they would install Code::Blocks, Pidgin, and AbiWord all at the same time:

It definitely looks like the Ubuntu Software Center will be a good piece of software for installing/finding programs. More advanced users will probably still prefer to install applications on the command line through APT, but I do think that this piece of software will help new Ubuntu users make the switch a little easier.

UPDATE: This post has been updated to reflect the name change from “software store” to “software center”.

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Tags: 10.04, 9.10, add/remove, app, beta, center, gdebi, gnome, kde, kubuntu, Linux, packages, Software, software sources, store, synaptic, technology, ubuntu, update, xubuntu