Software Management

Update, Browse, Install, and Remove Packages

Manage software on your system and on your schedule using Synaptic, Discover, and terminal commands.

• Package Types
• Update Packages
• Browse Packages
• Install Packages
• Remove Packages
• Troubleshooting
• Related Documents
• Revisions
• Disclaimer

Manage and update software packages.

Please read the disclaimer before proceeding. We review and update guided solutions regularly. If you have suggestions or requests, please write support@kfocus.org.

Package Types

Debian, Snap, and Flatpak

Official Ubuntu flavors like Kubuntu support at least three package types: Debian, Snap, and Flatpak. When all other factors are equal, we recommend using official Ubuntu Debian packages over Snaps, and Snaps over Flatpaks.

• A Debian package is also called "native" package because it is installed directly with the OS and uses the native libraries and security mechanisms such as user access control and AppArmor MAC. Nearly all software installed on a fresh Kubuntu system comes from Debian packages.
• A Snap package uses a container to sandbox apps and data. Snaps are discoverable and installable from the Snap Store , which has an audience of millions.
• A Flatpak package uses a container to sandbox apps and data, with many of the same benefits as a Snap. One substantial difference, however, is that Flatpaks are more desktop-focused, whereas Snaps are suitable for server and command-line applications. See the Flatpak Guided Solution to enable Flatpaks.

What Package Type Should I Choose?

In theory, the container technology used by Snaps and Flatpaks can make them more reliable and secure. In practice, however, this isn’t always the case. Also, when compared to Debian packages, both Snaps and Flatpaks can be slower to start, consume more RAM and disk space, and may not integrate cleanly with the desktop GUI.

For these reasons, we generally prefer using official Ubuntu Debian packages whenever possible. However, under certain circumstances, Snaps and Flatpaks are a preferred choice. This is discussed further in the Install Packages section below.

Update Packages

When Should I Update?

We recommend updating software packages daily. This keeps your system current with the latest security and feature enhancements. Updates on Focus systems rarely cause issues because kernels, GPU drivers, and desktop updates are validated and curated. In addition, Focus systems only use Kubuntu Long-Term Support (LTS) releases, which are almost always more reliable.

Even with all these safeguards, however, we recommend updating at the end of the day, not right before you need to get something done. Although glitches are rare, it is best to deal with them on your own terms. To be extra cautious, you can use System Rollback to take a snapshot before updating, or turn on automatic snapshots. You can also use apt-rollback to revert recent package changes, but please read the docs and use caution.

Using the Discover Updater

While it is possible to use other graphical tools to update packages, we recommend using the default Discover Updater because it notifies users of updates and handles the process correctly and easily for both Debian and Flatpak packages.

1. Click on the update indicator to launch Discover.

2. Wait for Discover to find the latest software updates.

3. Click "Update All" to start the update.

4. Provide your password when prompted to begin the update.

5. Wait for the packages to download and update. If there are many packages, this can take several minutes.

6. Verify that Discover has completed all updates.

Another way to update packages is to open Discover and then select "Updates" in the bottom-left corner of the app. Then return to the second step above.

If you have installed the Flatpak Discover integration, Flatpaks are updated along with Debian packages. Snap packages are auto-updated four times per day by the snapd service, so manual updates are rarely required. One can, however, force a Snap update as shown in the codeblock below.

Terminal Commands

You may use terminal commands to upgrade all packages as shown below. Notice that a full-upgrade is required to update the Debian packages in the same fashion as Discover:

Browse Packages

Debian Packages

Synaptic shows all available and installed Debian packages. Because most installed apps are Debian packages, we suggest you start with this tool. Enter sudo -E synaptic into a terminal to run it with the same theme as your desktop. It should be installed by default, but if need to reinstall it for any reason, enter sudo apt install synaptic into a terminal.

To browse packages with Synaptic, click [ Search ] at the top-right and you can search for a string in the name, description, or other field of the package metadata. Once you have found a package, you may inspect it as shown below:

Use Synaptic to inspect installed LibreOffice packages.

Synaptic has extensive built-in help documentation which we encourage you to use. The project page is here .

Snaps, Flatpaks, and Some Debian Packages

The Discover app does a great job of browsing Snap and Flatpak packages, but it often does not see many important Debian packages. That's because these packages do not include the AppStream metadata that Discover requires to display them. For this reason, we suggest you start with Synaptic, Aptitude, or apt as described above first.

As with Synaptic, you can browse packages by searching through categories on the left-hand side of Discover, or you may enter a search string into the top-left field and press [Enter]. When browsing, the pane shows a "Package Listing" that matches the category or query. Typically, it is filled with short-and-wide rectangles that contain "Package Summaries", as shown below:

View "Package Summaries" in Discover's "Package Listing" view.

Once you find the "Package Summary" you are looking for in the "Package Listing", click on it to show the "Package Details" view. This covers the entire right-hand panel and provides additional insights into the capabilities and limitations of the package, as shown below:

Explore capabilities in Discover's "Package Details" view.

Terminal Commands

Use Apt Tools like apt, apt-get, apt-cache, and aptitude to browse Debian packages:

Use snap and flatpak to browse Snap and Flatpak packages:

Install Packages

We recommend you install only one type of package per app. For example, while Gimp is available in all package types, you should probably just stick with the Debian package for the least trouble, even if it is a bit older. This avoids version conflicts and data corruption that can occur if you switch between Debian, Snap, or Flatpak installations of the app. As described in the Package Types section above, we recommend you consider a Debian package before a Snap or Flatpak.

If you feel the package install might break things, you can use System Rollback to take a snapshot before installation. You may alternatively use apt-rollback, but please read the docs and use caution. Generally, Snap and Flatpak images are safer to install and remove because they are sandboxed.

Debian Packages

Synaptic shows all available and installed Debian packages. Because most installed apps are Debian packages, we suggest you start with this tool. Enter sudo -E synaptic into a terminal to run it with the same theme as your desktop. It should be installed by default, but if need to reinstall it for any reason, enter sudo apt install synaptic into a terminal.

1. Find the package you wish to install. See the Browse Packages section if needed.

2. Mark packages for install and click "Apply."

3. Review changes in the pop-up window and click "Apply."

4. Watch the install proceed.

5. Click to "Close" the pop-up when the install is complete.

Snaps, Flatpaks, and Some Debian Packages

We recommend using Discover if you want to install a Snap or Flatpak. Discover will also show many Debian packages that have AppStream metadata. But, as discussed earlier, it will NOT show many other Debian packages that are missing this metadata, typically libraries and 3rd-party apps.

Using the Discover app, browse to the package you wish to install. Along the way, you should see a "Package Listing" like the one shown below:

View "Package Summaries" in Discover's "Package Listing" view.

The short-and-wide rectangles contain "Package Summaries." These show the package-type icons in the top-right corner. The Snap and Flatpak icons are obvious, while Debian packages have no icon at all. To install the package, click [ Install ] in the bottom-right corner of a "Package Summary." If the app is showing a "Package Details" view, you can click a similar install button in the top-right corner.

Terminal Commands

Use Apt Tools like apt, apt-get, apt-cache, and aptitude to install Debian packages. Use snap and flatpak to install Snaps and Flatpaks:

Remove Packages

Removing packages is very similar to installing them: you browse to find the package, select it, and then click a button to remove it.

You should be extra careful when deleting packages. Make sure you know what you are removing and do your research to ensure it's safe. If, for example, you just installed OBS Studio, and you are now going to remove it, you can be quite certain there should be no issues. If, on the other hand, you see a package like libxnvctrl0 and you didn't install it, don't remove it - you will likely break your system.

If you feel the package removal might break things, you can use System Rollback to take a snapshot before removal. You may alternatively use apt-rollback, but please read the docs and use caution. Generally, Snap and Flatpak images are safer to install and remove because they are sandboxed.

Debian Packages

Synaptic shows all available and installed Debian packages. Because most installed apps are Debian packages, we suggest you start with this tool. Enter sudo -E synaptic into a terminal to run it with the same theme as your desktop. It should be installed by default, but if need to reinstall it for any reason, enter sudo apt install synaptic into a terminal.

1. Find the package you wish to remove. See the Browse Packages section if needed.

2. Mark packages for removal and click "Apply."

3. Review changes in the pop-up window and click "Apply."

4. Watch the removal proceed.

5. Click to "Close" the pop-up when the removal is complete.

Snaps, Flatpaks, and Some Debian Packages

We recommend using Discover if you want to remove a Snap or Flatpak. Discover will also show many Debian packages that have AppStream metadata. But, as discussed earlier, it will NOT show many other Debian packages that are missing this metadata, typically libraries and 3rd-party apps.

Using the Discover app, browse to the package you wish to remove. Once you find the package to remove, click on the "Package Summary" to get the "Package Details" view as shown below:

Click "Remove" in Discover's "Package Details" view.

Click [ Remove ] at the top-right corner of this "Package Details" view to remove the package. Alternatively, you can click [ Remove ] in a "Package Summary" with the same result.

Terminal Commands

Use Apt Tools like apt, apt-get, or aptitude to purge Debian packages. Use snap and flatpak to remove Snaps and Flatpaks:

Troubleshooting

Q: I see a package called UEFI dbx when updating packages in Discover. Yet when I click [ Update All ], it does not complete. What do I need to do?

A: This is a firmware update that usually will fix itself within a few days. If it does not, you can enter into a terminal sudo fwupdmgr update. This Ask Ubuntu answer gives a more detailed discussion.

Q: I appear to have several unused packages. How can I remove them?

A: Enter the following into a terminal: sudo apt autoremove

Q: You also used to show Muon as an option. What happened?

A: As of Fall 2020, Muon does not appear actively developed. In addition, Discover has gotten significantly faster and more powerful. As a result, we dropped Muon from this guide on 2020-09-28.

Q: Discover proxy settings gets stuck. How can I resolve this?

A: Enter the following commands and follow the prompts.

Q: I see the following error message when fetching software updates. This happens when using Discover or the command-line. How can I fix this?

A: This is due to an expired key . This can be fixed as shown below:

The keyserver URL may alternately be hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80. This can be useful when working through firewalls. Updating the key should eliminate the error.

Q: I am seeing similar key issues with the QGIS repositories. Can I fix this too?

A: Yes. Try sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys F7E06F06199EF2F2 (thanks Justin!).

Disclaimer

We try hard to provide a useful solution validated by professionals. However, we cannot anticipate every situation, and therefore cannot guarantee this procedure will work for your needs. Always backup your data and test the solution to determine the correct procedure for you.

THIS SOLUTION IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOLUTION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.