First of all, in Ubuntu, software comes in "packages" which contain everything necessary to install one or more programs, their menu entries, and usually some level of documentation that goes with them. These are usually named with short package names like "linux-doc" which would be a documentation package for Linux.

These packages reside in what are called "repositories" which are maintained by the official Ubuntu software community. All packages available in the main repositories are virus free, and updates to all of the software available there are automatically installed via Update Manager in Ubuntu.

There are a couple of what are called "package managers" in Ubuntu which allow you to install, and remove programs, and documentation in Ubuntu. One is called Synaptic Package Manager, and is the easiest method of installing software in Ubuntu.

There is also Add/Remove which is another GUI [graphic user interface] method of installing software, and may be even easier than Synaptic to use.

If you like the command line, then you can also use apt-get to install software in Ubuntu. To do it this way, you need to know the name of the packages you want to install.

As always, you must know your password to install software in Ubuntu. This is a security feature of Ubuntu, and other Linux distributions.

This feature prevents anyone else from installing software on your system, as the installation of software accesses non user portions of the file system, and any such access is an administrative task requiring your password.

To make using my password easier, I have written a script which loads it to the clip board for pasting into password dialogs, as it is very long, and impossible to remember.

I may make that script available on a different page here at Ray's Links in the future. For now, watch the four videos to learn three methods of installing software in Ubuntu, and one of updating software.

For best results, watch the videos in Full Screen mode. To put a video in Full Screen mode click the Full Screen icon near the bottom right of the video interface.

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