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I usually use Ubuntu software centre to install programs but I sometimes use apt-get install instead. Is the Ubuntu software centre method just a user interface equivalent of the apt-get install commands? I use Ubuntu 12.04

Jorge Castro
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bazz
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3 Answers3

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Except for paid apps as tachyons has pointed out (which can be installed and uninstalled with apt-get but only once purchased in the Software Center), the Software Center is primarily a front end for the various apt- commands--not just apt-get. For example, the Software Center will also search for packages and let you edit your Software Sources.

The main practical distinction between the two is that the Software Center will automatically fetch information about what packages are available from where and in what versions. In contrast, when installing or upgrading software with apt-get, you should run sudo apt-get update first if you haven't done so recently. sudo apt-get install ... does not (ever) cause sudo apt-get update to be run automatically (though it may be run automatically up to once a day as part of automatic updates in the system).

Community
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Eliah Kagan
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  • I downloaded zoom application and installation went well with dpkg -i <pacakge> but program was not launching. later I uninstalled this package and installed the same file via 'software install' application, then it worked , why it so ? – Arun May 05 '21 at 12:05
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Yes , software center is just a gui front end of apt , but paid apps and some of the free apps which is submited through my apps portal are not available in apt-get

Tachyons
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Yes. As is another popular program - synaptic. I find synaptic faster.

Jazz
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    No idea why this got downvoted - software centre is slow. – 23 93 26 35 19 57 3 89 Jul 21 '12 at 06:59
  • Because the software center is not intented to be a replacement for Software Center. You can't really compare the two. –  Jul 21 '12 at 10:10
  • That makes no sense, and even if you meant to say synaptic, it still isn't relevant in the context of the OP's question. – Jazz Jul 21 '12 at 12:03
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    @Cumulus007 You can't compare the Software Center and Synaptic, but you can compare the Software Center and apt-get? Most of the functionality of all three programs overlaps. People choose consciously which of the three to use all the time, when any of the three (or others) would work. – Eliah Kagan Jul 21 '12 at 17:53