adding applications

[bradhaack]

xubuntu 18.04
I'm an old xubuntu user, new xubuntu install on new computer. When I went to install the apps that I use that aren't part of the distro (emacs, qmapshack, octave, gnucash, ..) , I didn't see synaptics package manager, but I found something just called 'software' in the applications dropdown (gnome-software). When I selected 'all' and searched, most of the of the apps that I wanted to install weren't listed. I'm used to using synaptics package manager & that wasn't installed. I Installed it and everthing works as expected.

Did I miss something? Shouldn't synaptics package manager be part of the xubuntu install? Should gnome-software show more packages? Now that I installed synaptics package manager gnome-software doesn't show up in the apps list.

[Autodave]

Use the Software icon to install Synaptic and then use Synaptic. That is the ONLY thing that I install from the software center.

[ajgreeny]

Or use terminal command

sudo apt install synaptic

and then use synaptic after that to install or remove packages.

I agree that it is very annoying that it has gone from the *ubuntu family as it is by far the best GUI package manager available for all of the OSs that I use that are based on Debian.

Many users seem to believe it is too complicated; perhaps I've been using it for too long now to see its difficulties in use

[bradhaack]

It sure sounds like synaptic should be part of the distro!

[QIII]

I agree. But the developers don't seem to think so. Unfortunate.

It might be time to go over to the "Things I dislike about Ubuntu" thread ...

[CatKiller]

It sure sounds like synaptic should be part of the distro!

It used to be included in the default install. I found it to be incredibly helpful not for installing software (which it was, of course) but for demonstrating exactly what was going on so it can click for the user: when you see that a package needs other packages to work, and they each get downloaded from Internet servers, you're most of the way to understanding package management.

For the user of the simplified App Store, useful things are not installable at all, and the process is: 1. Press the button. 2. A miracle occurs, and either the software is installed or the computer is destroyed, seemingly at random.

Flattening and hiding everything is part of establishing a brand, rather than making the computer better to use, and follows Gnome in that regard - which is understandable - and Google and Apple - which is less so.

It's worth noting that Muon, which is included with Kubuntu, is just as good as Synaptic. As far as I'm concerned, Gnome has been going in the wrong direction for some time now.

[silentstone]

Should gnome-software show more packages? Now that I installed synaptics package manager gnome-software doesn't show up in the apps list.

Synaptic rocks, but I'm puzzled by the disappearance of gnome-software after you've installed synaptic. I'm on Xubuntu 18.04, and I installed synaptic, too. But it didn't remove gnome-software! Look:
software-utils.jpg

There isn't a limit on how many package managers installed on the system. I run gnome-software to check user reviews on newfangled packages sometimes. it's handy.