10 Questions: How to avoid conflicts when installing and updating software through terminal and multiple software centers?

To answer your questions simply:

  1. No conflicts. Behind the software manager or terminal is apt.

  2. You can use any software manager or the command line… it’s just apt.

  3. The Boutique has no technical differences, it’s just apt. It also works on any other Ubuntu-based distribution too.

  4. It’s entirely up to you if you’d like to use one or multiple software managers. I personally don’t use a “software centre”, but rather Synaptic, Software Updater or the terminal, whichever one seems convenient at the time.

  5. It depends. You say you installed Zotero through the terminal.

  • Anything that installs from the Ubuntu repositories will definitely get updates.

  • Any package that came from a source or PPA will get updates via that repository. Sometimes external repositories package newer versions faster then the Ubuntu one.

  • If the application was to be added to the Boutique in future, then it depends if it uses the same repository and whether you want to “switch” to a different repository or not. As it’s just apt, it was seen as “Installed” as the package is installed.

  1. Software Updater and software managers do not communicate with each other. They talk to apt. Software Updater runs in the background and appears according to your settings set in Software & Updates.

    There was a discovery that Software Updater’s behaviour rolls out updates in stages so any (rare) problematic updates can be withdrawn without affecting any more users.

  2. “Subscribing for updates” in Boutique adds the Welcome repository, which contains much newer versions then the one in the Ubuntu repository. This also means new/updated content for the Boutique. :slight_smile:

    The same applies here for LibreOffice, where users can optionally add the LibreOffice PPA in the Boutique and get the latest version that otherwise would not get pushed to the Ubuntu repository for stability reasons.

    The system will be updated according to the latest version in whichever repository your system has. For example, if it’s just Ubuntu’s repo, then you will only get the latest version from there, whereas adding LibreOffice’s repository (PPA) will package newer versions.

  3. There’s package managers and software centers. They both do the exact same thing – work with apt. The only difference is the interface – software centres are much more user friendly whereas package managers like Synaptic are more suited for advanced users with its focus on packages, not software names.

    • :slight_smile: :speech_balloon: → Hey, I’d like a photo editor… GIMP looks good!
    • :nerd: :speech_balloon: → I need gimp, gimp-data but not gimp-data-extras.
  4. Time for some terminology:

    • APT = Advanced Packaging Tool

    • This is the software that manages packages for Debian and Ubuntu.

    • In other Linux distros, they use different tools like pacman (Arch) and yum (openSUSE).

    • Packages

      • Your entire system is divided into packages.
      • Everything - Kernels, drivers, utilities, desktop (MATE) and your chosen applications.
    • Dependency

      • When a package depends on another package to function.
      • A library for instance can be easily shared between programs.
      • Packages may refuse to install if a particular package it needs doesn’t exist.
      • Conflicts happen when a package needs one but can’t use the other, such as different versions of that same package.
      • No more Windows “DLL hell” and “Can’t start. You need to install xxx to use this…” nuisance! :slight_smile:
    • PPA = Personal Package Archive

      • Packages provided outside the Ubuntu repository.
    • Anything in the Ubuntu repository is guaranteed to be safe as it has been checked, verified and tested. Software from a PPA may be newer, unstable, buggy or even dangerous (although those PPAs will be taken down if they are harmful).

    • The same judgement should be applied like downloading Windows software – is it safe? Can you trust it? Do other people use it?

    • Snap Packages

      • Canonical’s new technology to package stuff.
    • [See here for some details about it.] (https://insights.ubuntu.com/2016/04/13/snaps-for-classic-ubuntu/) It’s still new to me.

  5. And finally, managing the software on your system is what it is – an Administration tool. The terminal is a “swift army knife” that does a whole lot more then manage the system and install software. :wink:


Whew! :sweat_smile: That’s a lot! I hope it clarifies your questions. :slight_smile:

It’s also come at a good time as I’m thinking of adding some documentation to Welcome to describe how the system manages software.

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