I found "Software" not "Software Center"?

I am new to Ubuntu, I have installed it on VMware on windows 10 as a step before fully migrating to Linux. I installed Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and for some reason software center didn’t come with it.

I wrote sudo apt update on mu gnome terminal then sudo apt-get install genome-terminal which installed a software called “Software” which has a logo which looks like a blue suitcase.

I am not sure if this is a new version of software-center but review of famous software in it are very few so I think this isn’t the one I should be using, but is it?

writing sudo apt-get install software-centergets me an error saying Package ‘software-center’ has no installation candidate I am not sure what have I done wrong. Please help and thanks in advance.

Edit: I have also found more than one Vim (a text editor) to install, so I felt I was in the wrong place, is it normal to find 2 copies of the same software? Which shall I install? I couldn’t decide based on reviews as there weren’t much.

3 Answers

Canonical has decided to fork Gnome Software, tailoring it to promote its Snap package system.

As a result, it lacks support for Flatpak, and prioritizes the search for applications over Snap packages, which in my opinion generates some confusing cases, leading for example in some searches for pre-installed packages such as deb package to show a Snap package as the first result. and far below last, the pre-installed deb package. Unusual, in many cases even Ubuntu Software only finds the application in Snap.

Although Snap and Flatpak are for accessing certain applications and their versions, they are not an efficient replacement for most of the packages that make up a distribution, and particularly they are resources that I do not use because I estimate that they have a larger file size, a less integration with the desktop environment and a slower boot.

My suggestion is to install and use Gnome Software with the necessary plugins.

This requires:

Open a terminal and run:

sudo snap remove snap-store
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install synaptic gdebi gnome-software gnome-software-common gnome-software-plugin-flatpak gnome-software-plugin-snap

You can also add the repository to manage Flatpak applications, running from the terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alexlarsson/flatpak
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

I particularly prefer not to use anything from Flatpak or Snap, and I still use apt from the terminal, synaptic as GUI and in the case of independent deb packages gdebi, which resolves dependencies.

The "ubuntu software center" runs as program "software"

it looks like this on my installation (colors my be different)

there aren't many reviews in the tool and discovery of software isn't ideal IMO

You can also get some software via the snapstore

Discovery of programs is easier but you'll only have snaps while software center handles sofwtare that is in form of a snap or a normal "software package"(apt)

You can just download and install apps using the new Software app. I have good experience with it in Lubuntu, and it isn't bad. But if it doesn't work, you can still go to the website where you would download it for Windows, and try using a .deb file to install your software. And it looks (for me) that it is a replacement for the old Ubuntu software