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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Linux has galore bundle managers.
- There are command-line and GUI tools for the task.
- Not each bundle managers are created equal.
When I archetypal started utilizing Linux, the package manager was called "source code," arsenic successful you had to instal everything from source. Eventually, bundle managers started showing up to marque things exponentially easier.
The archetypal bundle manager I ever utilized was RPM connected Red Hat Linux 5.2 (prior to Fedora becoming a thing). Once APT deed the market, it was each over. I'd recovered my preferred bundle manager, and that would stay existent for decades.
That doesn't mean my bundle manager respect starts and ends with APT. There are immoderate bundle managers disposable that are conscionable arsenic bully arsenic APT.
Also: How to instal Linux applications from the bid line
Let maine archer you astir those bundle managers that person go my favourite implicit the years.
What is simply a bundle manager?
Before I get into listing my favorites, I accidental I should archer you what a bundle manager is. Essentially, a bundle manager is simply a instrumentality for managing the installation, upgrading, and removal of software.
One of the champion features of a bully bundle manager is the quality to resoluteness each dependencies for a package, which means you won't person to instrumentality attraction of that manually. Another happening a bundle manager does is guarantee the bundle is integrated into the system, truthful each of those apps you've installed are dealt with via a centralized determination (usually an app store).
Also: I instal these 11 apps connected each caller Linux system, and you should, excessively - here's why
Package managers are mostly command-line tools but bash person GUI beforehand ends, truthful you don't person to usage the bid enactment to negociate your software.
In this piece, I'm going to speech astir some bundle managers and bundle manager beforehand ends.
1. APT
Yes, this is my No. 1. Why? APT (Advanced Package Tool) isn't conscionable an casual bundle manager; it's besides precise almighty and offers tons of features. One of my favourite features of APT is the quality to hole a breached installation.
If I effort to instal a portion of bundle from the bid enactment and it fails, I tin tally the bid sudo apt instal -f. That bid volition hole immoderate is causing issues with the installation of that software. Also, APT's syntax is precise casual to remember:
- Update the APT bundle database - sudo apt update
- Install a bundle - sudo apt instal PACKAGENAME
- Upgrade a azygous bundle - sudo apt upgrade -- only-upgrade PACKAGENAME
- Remove a bundle - sudo apt region PACKAGENAME
- Reinstall a bundle - sudo apt reinstall PACKAGENAME
- Remove a bundle arsenic good arsenic each of its files - sudo apt purge PACKAGENAME
- Search for a bundle - sudo apt hunt PACKAGENAME
I recognize that a large portion of the crushed wherefore APT is my favourite is that I've been utilizing it for truthful long. But the crushed I've been opting for distributions that usage APT is that APT is truthful good.
Two past points:
- There are tons of repositories disposable for APT, truthful there's a batch of bundle that tin beryllium installed.
- APT is 1 of the fastest bundle managers available.
APT is the default bundle manager for astir each Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions.
2. DNF
DNF is to Fedora what APT is to Ubuntu (or Debian). DNF is casual to use, offers a simplistic syntax, excels astatine transaction history, rollback, and installing from nonstop URLs. Another precise bully facet of DNF is that it automatically purges files erstwhile removing an app. With the merchandise of DNF5, the bundle manager has astir caught up to APT's speed.
The DNF syntax is precise akin to that of APT:
- Update the APT bundle database - sudo dnf check-update
- Install a bundle - sudo dnf instal PACKAGENAME
- Upgrade a azygous bundle - sudo dnf upgrade PACKAGENAME
- Remove a bundle (and each of its files) - sudo dnf region PACKAGENAME
- Reinstall a bundle - sudo dnf reinstall PACKAGENAME
- Search for a bundle - sudo dnf hunt PACKAGENAME
As you tin see, DNF and APT are similar.
DNF is the default bundle manager for Fedora and Fedora-based distributions.
3. Flatpak
We're present veering into the realm of cosmopolitan bundle managers, which are named arsenic specified due to the fact that they enactment connected astir immoderate Linux distribution, and the bundle that is installed via a cosmopolitan bundle manager tin beryllium installed connected immoderate supported distribution. Installing a Flatpak app connected Ubuntu is the aforesaid arsenic it is connected Fedora.
Flatpak besides makes it casual to instal definite proprietary apps, specified arsenic Spotify and Slack. This besides illustrates the crushed wherefore cosmopolitan bundle managers are truthful important. Because of the likes of Flatpak and Snap, developers don't person to interest astir creating an app for KDE Plasma, 1 for GNOME, 1 for Xfce, etc.; Flatpak doesn't attraction what desktop you are using.
Also: Snap vs. Flatpak: How to determine which Linux bundle manager is close for you
Installing apps with Flatpak is precise simple. You tin sojourn Flathub, find the app you privation to install, click the Install drop-down, transcript the command, paste the bid into your terminal, and deed Enter. Of course, if you cognize the sanction of the bundle you privation to install, the bid could beryllium arsenic elemental as:
flatpak instal PACKAGENAME
Where PACKAGENAME is the sanction of the app you privation to install.
You tin besides region a bundle with:
flatpak region PACKAGENAME
But wherefore Flatpak implicit Snap? I've ever recovered Snap packages are amended suited for servers, and Flatpak apps are amended suited for the desktop. On apical of that, I've ever recovered Flatpak apps unfastened faster than Snap apps.
Flatpak tin beryllium utilized connected astir Linux distributions.
4. COSMIC Store
GUI time.
A twelvemonth ago, I would not person included Pop!_OS's app store connected this list. It was buggy, slow, and often refused to start.
Since then, the COSMIC Store has been wholly rewritten (for the COSMIC desktop) successful Rust, which means it's fast... truly fast. Pop Store besides has Flatpak enactment baked in, truthful I tin instal apps either from the APT repositories oregon a Flatpak repository.
COSMIC Store resembles GNOME Software (which is simply a bully thing), but it's importantly faster.
I can't statesman to archer you however overmuch Pop Store has improved from its erstwhile iteration. Let's conscionable accidental erstwhile releases were astir unusable. Now, I'd alternatively usage COSMIC Store than immoderate Linux bundle manager beforehand end.
Also: My 10 favourite Linux distributions of each time, ranked
COSMIC Store is lone disposable connected Pop!_OS.
5. KDE Discover
KDE Plasma has its ain app store, called KDE Discover, and it's beauteous special. Although KDE Discover mightiness not beryllium arsenic beauteous arsenic Pop Store, it's 1 of the astir configurable and flexible bundle manager GUIs available. KDE Discover is 1 of the fewer beforehand ends that simplifies the enabling and disabling of Flatpak support.
Also: The astir beauteous Linux distributions for 2025
Another crushed wherefore I see KDE Discover is that it allows you not lone to instal apps, but besides Plasma Addons and Application Addons, and gives you speedy entree to updates, and adjacent allows you to alteration and disable repositories without having to unfastened different app.
All of this comes successful a user-friendly GUI bundle that makes installing apps conscionable a click away.
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