Nota, due ricerche utili:

Note: This page was written for Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx and will need to be updated for Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat.

What is the Software Center?

The Ubuntu Software Center is designed to be a one-stop-shop for users wanting to manage the software on their system. Before, this task generally required navigating several menus and there were numerous ways of completing the same action. While all of those options are still available, the Software Center aims to provide users with a single program that can handle all software needs in an intuitive way. The Software Center is included by default in Ubuntu 10.04, so users are ready to get the software they need right away!

Getting Started

Since the Software Center is included by default, getting started is very simple. In order to launch the Software Center, you can go to the Applications menu and find it at the bottom of the list. Just click the launcher, and the program will start up. Once it does, you will see something like this:

The interface is simple and easy to work with, especially once you know how to navigate around. Lets break down the different sections...

This is the main area of the Software Center. When first launched, the different categories for applications are shown. Users can simply click one of these icons, and a list of applications in that category will fill this area. The “Featured Applications” option displays several applications that are popular throughout the Ubuntu community. Most of the interaction occurs here.
When the left pane is expanded, you are provided with the different sources of software currently available. Initially, only the “Provided by Ubuntu” and “Canonical Partners” sub-options are present. If you add any PPAs (Personal Package Archives), they will appear here as well. Clicking any of these sources will filter the software shown in the main window so it only shows applications in that repository. The “Installed Software” option also displays all of the applications currently installed on your system, making it easy to go through and remove software you no longer use.
This top area is used to navigate the Software Center. The left and right arrows function similarly to the arrows in a web browser: the left area will bring you to the previous screen, the right arrow will bring you forward a screen. Next to the arrows is a bread-crumb navigation bar. As you navigate through menus, this bar will allow you to easily switch between different sections faster than using the arrows. The search bar can be used to find an application more quickly.
Finally, up top are your standard menus: File, Edit, View, and Help.

Installing Software

Now to figure out how to use the Software Center for its main purpose: installing applications! In order to do so, you must first find the application that you want to install. If you do not know the exact program, you can look in the different categories to find what you are looking for. Many categories have subcategories to make this easier. For example, the Graphics section has the following subcategories:

Clicking on a subcategory will further filter the list of applications, making it easier to find what you are looking for. However, if you know the name of the application, then you can type it into the search box and it should show up for you:

Next, you highlight the application's listing. If the application is not already installed on your system, you will see two buttons: “More Info” and “Install.” Clicking “More Info” brings up a window that provides a detailed description of the application, along with a screen-shot in many cases:

Either from the application's details, or from the previous list of applications, users have the option to click “Install.” Doing so will ask for your system's password and then install the software. When installing, an option will be displayed in the left pane allowing you to see the progress of the installation:

Note: You may notice that the “Install” button on the applications description page also says that the software is Free. Later on, the developers plan to add a way for users to purchase software, so this is displayed to show how much the software costs.

In the event that you want to install multiple programs at once, you can select to Install each application one at a time and they will be added to a queue. After a program is successfully installed, the Software Center will automatically move on to the next application in the queue.

After the progress bar finishes, the application will be available on your system!

Removing Software

If you realize that there is software on your system you no longer use, the Software Center makes it easy to remove the application. Clicking on the “Installed Software” option in the left pane will show the software currently installed on your system. If you highlight any of these programs, you will see a “Remove” button. Simply click this button, enter your password, and the application will be removed.

In the event that you want to remove multiple programs at once, you can select to Remove each application one at a time and they will be added to a queue. After a program is successfully removed, the Software Center will automatically move on to the next application in the queue.

Managing Software Sources

Ubuntu provides users with a lot of great software by default in the official Ubuntu repository, but sometimes users want more options. True to the nature of Linux, Ubuntu users are able to access a variety of repositories, allowing for many different options for programs. Thankfully, the Software Center now supports the management of repositories, including PPAs (Personal Package Archives). In order to edit the repositories that your system has access to, go to Edit > Software Sources. This will bring up the Software Sources window, which is also accessible through System > Administration > Software Sources. Here, users can select what official repositories they would like to access, and what PPAs they use:

Simply check the repositories you would like the Software Center to use, close the window, then allow the Software Center to refresh. Once you do, the applications available in the repositories you selected will now show up when you search through categories or by using the search bar.

Future Plans

The Software Center is already a powerful tool, but the developers have plans to make it even more useful. Below are a few of the features that are planned for inclusion in future releases of the Software Center:

Ratings and reviews
Purchasing of paid software
History section that details what actions were performed in the Software Center
Animations for the main window
A Cancel button for actions that are in progress
And much more! (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareCenter#Ubuntu%20Software%20Center%203.0)

CategoryHomepage