Thanks to the popularity of lightweight, low-cost laptop computers called "netbooks," many consumers are being introduced to the Linux operating system for the first time. If you have purchased a netbook or other computer running Linux, one of the first things you will want to do is search for, download and install software. Use your computer's built-in package manager to download software and install it automatically.
Instructions
- 1
Click "System," "Administration" and "Synaptic Package Manager."
Note: This article describes the process of downloading and installing software using the Ubuntu distribution of Linux---one of the most common Linux distributions. However, other Linux distributions may include different package managers, which may have menu options differing from those described here.
2Enter your Administrative password and click "OK."
3Click a category on the left side of the screen, such as "Editors," "Email" or "Games and Amusement," then browse the list on the right side of the screen to see what programs are available to download. Alternatively, if you know the name of the program or want to look for something containing a specific keyword, enter it in the "Quick search" box, then click the "Search" button.
4Click the check box next to the program that you would like to download and install, then click "Mark for installation." In many cases, Linux will also need to install other software packages---called "dependencies"---that must be installed for your chosen program to work properly. Click "Mark" to mark the dependencies for installation.
5Click the "Apply" button at the top of the screen. A confirmation screen will appear, displaying a list of each software package that is marked for installation. If everything looks as it should, click the "Apply" button to download and install the software you have selected.
