Ubuntu

Don't understand add/remove software application

Asked by leonardevens

I have ubuntu 8.04, installed by Dell on a laptop. I am familiar with the add/remove software interface from using it under Fedora 2 thru 9. It looks similar under ubuntu, but I can't find various
bits of software that should be available. An example is the gimp-gutenprint plugin. There are a couple of other adminstrative applications, Software Sources and Synaptic Package Manager which I can apparently use instead, and I was able to get a couple of such packages that way. But I don't understand how these different applcations for getting packages are related and why add/remove can't find so many packages.

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draeklae (augusto-bodanese-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#1

Add/Remove simplifies things for inexperienced users, displaying programs instead of each package for it. It would be hard for such an user to choose from all those packages in Synaptic.

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leonardevens (len-math) said : 		#2

So, how would I get something like the gimp gutenprint plugin using add/remove software? Or do I just abandon it if I am doing anything at all subtle?

I guess an additionall problem is that I don't understand how ubuntu packages relate to rpm packages, with which I am extremely familiar. Any hints about where to look to understand that?

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Guillermo Belli (glock24) said : 		#3

You should use Synaptic instead of the add/remove program. Synaptic if the package manager with full capabilities, while add/remove is a simplified interface that shown the name of the programs intead of the package name.

Here's a quick tutorial:

http://www.debianadmin.com/simple-package-management-with-synaptic-package-manager-in-ubuntu.html

The package you want in called "gimp-gutenprint".

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Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#4

Add,
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingSoftware

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