Chapter 4: Managing Software

Overview

Operating systems evolve. There is a constant flow of patches and updates that needs to be reviewed and installed. And then there is custom software-packages that are not included in a standard distribution but can be very valuable anyway. How do you even begin to browse for these packages?

As part of the Linux open source family, Ubuntu can use most open source packages. Large repositories such as SourceForge (sourceforge.net) and FreshMeat (freshmeat.net) store hundreds of thousands of projects. Unfortunately for some projects, downloading, compiling, and installing can be overwhelming. In addition, dead projects, unchanged in years with no active maintainers, are available for download.

Fortunately, the Ubuntu community maintains many different repositories of precompiled packages that are ready to install and use. All you need to do is specify the ones you want and they are installed-no manual compilation required. Programs such as the Advanced Package Tool (APT) and its graphical front end, Synaptic, simplify the search and install process.

Each package contains several items:

• Precompiled applications

• Dependency information for other packages needed by this package

• Install scripts

• Package information and description

• License information

You can obtain packages from the Ubuntu CD-ROM, DVD, or over the network.

Not every package works after a successful installation. Some packages require additional configurations before working properly. Scripts such as EasyUbuntu have automated a few of the common, complex installations. In the worst cases, you will still need to download sources and compile code. For these situations, you will need to install a programming environment.