Easy software install under Linux
Even in this day and age you can sometimes still hear the echo of the old FUD: Installing software under Linux is difficult! Really? Maybe that was the case in the past, but it certainly doesn't hold for modern Linux distributions anymore. In fact, I would content that for most people, installing software under Linux is now easier than under Windows. The installation requires a few less mouse clicks under Linux, but that is not even all that relevant.
Note: This was written especially for those of you who are still on Windows, have considered Linux, but are worried about complexities, command lines and other things you'd rather not have to deal with. There is good news for you: It's neither complex, nor do you need the command line.
Repositories
More important than just the click-count is how modern Linux distributions allow everyone to choose from a huge number of available packages and applications, easily browsed, sorted in categories, small descriptions with each of them. You don't need to hunt for them on the Internet, or come across them by accident. You also don't have to download them from more-or-less trustworthy web-sites. Instead, a huge selection of very good applications is available in centrally managed repositories, just there for you to peruse and select from.
A walk through
I use Ubuntu, so what you see in the example below is their way of doing things. Since it's currently the most popular desktop Linux distribution, this is probably not a bad example, though. But other Linux distros offer similar methods for software maintenance as well.
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The Confusing State of Software Installation in Linux
As I anticipated, the 'colorful' e-mails came floating in quickly when I did the article on Automatix. Many readers apparently missed the point completely. Frankly, I'm not all that worried about it, since the misunderstanding presents an opportunity for us to examine the bigger issue - software installation and Linux.
I Love dpkg Distros. Nothing against my friends using Gentoo and Fedora, but I'm all about the Debian-based way of installing. Nothing beats its simplicity and ease, unless you are completely new to Linux. Again, I will go to my grave saying that dpkg is about as simple as it gets; however, there must be a bigger reason why people are looking at programs that are perceived as 'dangerous' by Linux enthusiasts.
The answer is simple - command line stereotypes.
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