Spice Mines of Kessel

If you are new to Ubuntu, you might be asking yourself how you obtain more software for your computer. With Windows, you can usually just go to a retailer, such as Best Buy, or to an online store, such as Amazon.com, and select from a host of purchasable software for your computer. Then, you simply insert the CD or DVD and install the software. However, with Ubuntu, and Linux in general, said method of obtaining software just doesn’t happen. Software for Ubuntu is obtained in a different, and easier, manner.

After a fresh install of Ubuntu 9.10, you will notice a rather decent collection of software is already installed. Just browse the Applications menu to see for yourself. In that menu, you will find software to meet a host of needs: word processor, spreadsheet, Internet browser, e-mail client, text editor, image editor, music player, and several games. (That is by no means a complete listing.) While you may find use for all, or most, of these applications, there will undoubtedly be other needs you will want met via software.

Finding software for Ubuntu is rather easy, once you familiarize yourself with the method. (There are several methods for installing software in Ubuntu, but I will only cover the simple, built-in method of using the Ubuntu Software Center. This is, after all, a beginner’s guide.) Notice that in the Applications menu there is the Ubuntu Software Center. Open that and then examine the application window (see picture below this paragraph). You will see that in the main section there is a host of categories of software. These categories will help you find software based on the type of work you need the application to perform. Then, in the upper-right corner, there is a search box. This allows you to find the software you need if you know the name, or partial name, of the application you want. Let’s look at some examples.

Ubuntu Software Center

Let’s say you like to record and edit audio. Ubuntu comes with an application called, Sound Recorder; however, that application only handles half of what you want to do. For this task, you prefer to use the application called Audacity. Since you know the name of the application, you can type the name in the search box in the Ubuntu Software Center and Audacity will appear in the search results. Then, to install Audacity, just click on the application and then click the arrow on the right of the highlighted application entry. This will give you information about Audacity and, at the bottom, the option to install the application by clicking the respective button. After clicking the button to install Audacity, you will be asked for the administrator password. Once the administrator password is correctly entered, the Ubuntu Software Center will download and install Audacity. Finally, Audacity will be added to your Applications menu, in the Sound & Video section.

Searching for Audacity in the Ubuntu Software Center

What if you don’t know the name of the application? Let’s say you once used a multimedia application that played all of your favorite music and video files. You don’t remember what it is called, but you recall the icon looking like a cone, much like you would find at a constriction site. After opening the Ubuntu Software Center, examine the categories. You find that the application you are looking for will most likely be in the Sound & Video category. Clicking on the category will give you a list containing a multitude of applications relating to sound and video. Scrolling down the list, lo and behold, you find the application with a cone as its icon: VLC Media Player. From there, installation is the same as the previous example: click the application, click the arrow to the right, and then click the appropriate button to install the application.

Browsing for VLC in the Ubuntu Software Center

There may come a time when you would like to remove a particular application from your system. You can determine if an application is installed on your system in two ways: it is listed in the Installed Software section on the left, or a green circle with a white check mark appears on the application icon in the list in the main section of the window. Uninstalling an application is very much the same process as installing an application. The only difference exists when you are viewing information about the application. Instead of clicking an Install button, you will click a Remove button. Then, the application will be removed from your system.

Now that you know how to install software for your new Ubuntu installation, I would encourage you to browse the different categories in the Ubuntu Software Center. Chances are, you’ll find an application that may be of interest to you. Since all of this software is free to download and use, it may be worth the small time investment to discover you next favorite application.