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Myth #01:
The Ubuntu Software app is not free.
For a list of all the apps you can install, see this website: [link to GetDeb] (opens in new tab). It lists all the Free and Paid Apps that are available for installation. The best way to avoid paying for software is by visiting our site before purchasing anything else! If a desktop icon tells us it’s “free,” we’ll give them an A+ rating on their product page; if it doesn’t tell us they’re free or say how much they cost, then we won’t know whether or not to recommend them.
If there’s something about your favorite program or OS that bothers you, please let me know so I can investigate it.
Myth #02:
It’s not possible to use Ubuntu Software without installing the Unity desktop environment. If you’re using KDE, MATE or something else, this is just a waste of time because all these other environments can do everything in Ubuntu Software that Unity can do anyway.
This is wrong on two counts: while the software available through our app will run as expected regardless of your choice of Desktop Environment and there are many apps we have yet to add support for (though new ones arrive every day), some features like opening web links from within Firefox don’t work correctly outside the default Unity interface at present. As more developers join us and improve their compatibility with non-default interfaces, I’ll be updating this blog post accordingly to ensure no more confusion.
This blog post is about the Ubuntu Software.
It will debunk three myths in three minutes or less.
Yes, you can install every app from a single apt command: no need to search around for each individual package file on GitHub and download them one by one! This only works because of the popularity contest that has led to many popular apps being available as precompiled binaries optimized specifically for your system’s CPU architecture (x86_64). These packages are often not open source, but this doesn’t mean they’re any worse than their open source counterparts. We’ll see why later when we cover Myth #0
“The Ubuntu software repository contains everything I could ever want”. You can read more about this in Myth #0.
Yes, Ubuntu software repositories contain everything you could ever want: If there’s a program that isn’t available from the official “Ubuntu Software” repository (or Snap store), it can usually be found from a third party package archive or as an individual build script on GitHub.
The most common is probably Debian which offers over 19,00 packages for download and was originally built by members of the GNU project to provide greater freedom than other operating systems at the time. Though some people may not find this necessary because they believe Linux shouldn’t have any proprietary components, many others will argue against them with “If Microsoft Windows has Photoshop then why doesn’t Linux?” This argument is flawed because Windows is not a free operating system and the price for Photoshop from Microsoft retails at $699.
The second lie is that Ubuntu Software packages are broken into categories:
This may be true if you’re used to using an Apple computer but, in reality, there are no subcategories available on Ubuntu’s software package manager.
Third lies include “you can’t install anything without sudo”: One of the most common misconceptions about Linux concerning only “root user permissions” which require everything to be installed with superuser privileges unless it’s coming straight from Canonical themselves. In fact, many people don’t know this until they get started installing programs and find out they need permission beyond what their account has.
Lastly, “all software is free”: In reality, there are large numbers of proprietary packages that haven’t been ported to Linux. It’s possible to get access to these by using virtual machines or dual-booting into Windows but this introduces a number of problems you may not have considered when using Ubuntu Software.
This blog post will debunk the three most common lies about Ubuntu Software –
price for Photoshop from Microsoft retails at $699, subcategories exist on Ubuntu’s software package manager and root user permission restrictions require everything to be installed with superuser privileges unless it comes straight from Canonical themselves. Lastly all programs in operating system are free but some popular ones such as Adobe Photoshop are still not available and must
Lie #0: “Ubuntu Software is the same as Synaptic”
This is a common misconception. While they both provide an interface to install software, Ubuntu Software features curated recommendations and popular apps like Google Chrome or LibreOffice whereas Synaptic gives you access to more obscure applications that few people ever use.
Synaptic also has a search function which makes it much quicker for users to find what they’re looking for than scrolling through pages of items in Ubuntu Software’s menu-driven UI.
The important takeaway from this myth? If you want less clutter on your screen while installing new applications, avoid using Ubuntu Software!
Lie #01: “I can’t disable updates once I’ve installed them.”
False! Ubuntu Software provides an “Updates” tab in the menu bar that allows you to easily disable updates, and even choose which ones are auto-installed.
Lie #02: “I can’t uninstall applications.”
There’s no need! The default Ubuntu installation comes with several lightweight apps installed by default such as LibreOffice for office needs or Firefox for web browsing; however, if these aren’t your cup of tea you can always use Synaptic (or another favorite package manager) to remove them from your system. Once uninstalled they will be gone forever without affecting any other part of your operating system because Ubuntu is a clean slate – there is nothing pre-installed on it!
Lie #03: “‘Ubuntu software’ doesn’t support my favorite apps”
It does, and it’s easy! All you need to do is go into the “Ubuntu Software Center,” search for what you want, click on install, enter your password if needed (or just hit cancel), and viola – Ubuntu software has your back. There are tons of popular applications such as Chrome or GIMP that users can find with ease in this app store.
Lie #04: “The ‘Adobe Flash Player’ required by a lot of websites will never work.”
Nonsense! The latest version of Adobe Flash Player available in the Ubuntu Software Store works beautifully and without issue. You may have noticed that YouTube videos play perfectly well through their web browser, and that’s because Ubuntu software has a handy plug-in for it.
Lie #05: “I can’t install ‘Ubuntu Software Center’!”
Thankfully, this is not the case! The easiest way to get your hands on an installer package for Ubuntu Software Center is by clicking on the link in their website – you know that one? It’s right on their front page. This download will take under two minutes, but if you want there are also instructions available here. These installation steps offer different options of how to check where your files are saved so they’ll work smoothly with your operating system (Windows or Mac). Given these easy to follow instructions, installing Ubuntu software couldn’t be easier. You’re welcome 😉 Lie #04: “Ubuntu Software doesn’t have enough programs!” There are a couple of reasons this could be the case. If you’re struggling to find something, it may not be in your language or region – Ubuntu offers software translated into over 100 languages! In addition to that, they also offer localized versions for countries like China and Brazil. As if that weren’t enough, there is an equally vast array of applications available on their website (seriously though.. look at all these options). The other reason it might seem as if there aren’t many programs is because some users don’t know how to use Canonical’s search function yet. All you need do is type what you want in the search bar and b
