7 ways to install apps and games in linux

7/24/2019 7 Ways to Install Apps and Games in Linux

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7 Ways to Install Apps and Games in Linux

You did it! You installed Linux, tweaked every little detail. And now what?

Although Linux distributions come with plenty of pre-installed software, sooner or later youll want to install something new

(http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/11-must-apps-ubuntu-right-fresh-install/). But how do I install apps on Linux?, you might wonder. That is

the question were tackling today.

The most common method of installing apps on Linux is from the repositories using a package manager. The principle is more or less the

same everywhere, the main difference being the package management system of a particular distribution. Sound a bit Greek to you? Heres

an explanation.

W h a t I s a P a c k a g e M a n a g e m e n t S y s t e m ?

Linux software is usually distributed in the form of packages. In simplified terms, a package management system refers to the tools and file

formats required to manage those packages. Two most widespread package management systems are dpkg (uses .deb files) and RPM (its

packages are .rpm files). The difference between package management systems is generally in their approach to the installation process (for

example, RPM packages can depend on files, rather than other packages).

Written by Ivana Isadora DevcicFebruary 18, 2016

(http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/author/ivana/)
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/author/ivana/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/author/ivana/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/11-must-apps-ubuntu-right-fresh-install/


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You may already know that Debian, Ubuntu, and their derivatives use dpkg, while Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, Fedora, Mageia, and

openSUSE use RPM. Gentoos system is called Portage, while Sabayon can use both Portage and its own system called Entropy. Slackware

and Arch Linux use tarballs (.tar files) that contain special metadata, while PC Linux OS sports a mix

(http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/pclinuxos-a-linux-distribution-which-mixes-and-matches-software-for-a-better-experience/) of solutions.

Linux packages are just archive files (like .zip and .rar) that contain the application code and the instructions on how to install the application,

where to place its configuration files, and what other packages it requires. The software that executes those instructions is called a package

manager.

T i p : A l w a y s m a k e s u r e t o u s e t h e r i g h t p a c k a g e f o r m a t f o r y o u r d i s t r i b u t i o n . I f y o u c a n t f i n d a . d e b p a c k a g e o f a n a p p l i c a t i o n ,

b u t a . r p m o n e i s a v a i l a b l e , i t s p o s s i b l e t o c o n v e r t b e t w e e n t h e m ( h t t p : / / w w w . m a k e u s e o f . c o m / t a g / e a s i l y - i n s t a l l - n o n - n a t i v e -

p a c k a g e s - i n - u b u n t u - w i t h - a l i e n / ) .

W h a t I s a P a c k a g e M a n a g e r ?

The desktop equivalent of an app store, a package manager is the central place to manage your Linux applications. Think of it as the

Add/Remove Applications dialog on Windows, but far more advanced. In fact, Windows users should be familiar with the concept, since

nowadays their OS has a package manager, too (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-gets-package-manager-download-software-

centrally-via-oneget/).

Every Linux distribution comes with a package manager. If you dont like the default one, you can replace it (provided that the new one

supports your distros package format). The package manager is where youll search for, install, update, and remove applications. It can have

a command-line or a full graphical interface, and it stores the information about installed applications, their versions, and dependencies in a

local database. This helps it clean up all the leftovers automatically after you uninstall an app.

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http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-gets-package-manager-download-software-centrally-via-oneget/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/easily-install-non-native-packages-in-ubuntu-with-alien/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/pclinuxos-a-linux-distribution-which-mixes-and-matches-software-for-a-better-experience/


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T i p : W h e n y o u w a n t t o i n s t a l l a n e w L i n u x a p p , a l w a y s s e a r c h i n y o u r p a c k a g e m a n a g e r f i r s t . I f y o u c a n t f i n d w h a t y o u r e

l o o k i n g f o r t h e r e , t u r n t o o t h e r u s e f u l r e s o u r c e s ( h t t p : / / w w w . m a k e u s e o f . c o m / t a g / l i n u x - u s e r s - t o o l k i t - d i s c o v e r i n g - n e w - a p p s / ) .

W h a t I s a R e p o s i t o r y ?

Of course, your package manager cant just produce packages out of thin air. It needs to fetch information about available packages from a

location called the repository. Its a collection of packages for a particular Linux distribution. The repository can be a network location, a local

storage unit (a DVD, a USB drive, or a hard drive), or even a single file. Every distribution has its official repositories with thousands of

packages.

If an app is unavailable in the official repositories (or you just want the newest version straight from the developers), you can add new

repositories to your system. Make sure to choose the repository that matches your distributions version. New repositories can be added via

a dialog in your package manager, or by editing files with admin privileges.

Dpkg-based distributions store their repository information in the /etc/apt/sources.listfile or in separate .list files in the

/etc/apt/sources.list.d/directory.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/linux-users-toolkit-discovering-new-apps/


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For RPM distros, you can add new repositories under the [repository]section in the /etc/yum.conffile (or /etc/dnf/dnf.conf, if you

use DNF instead of Yum), or create .repo files in the /etc/yum.repos.d/directory.

For users of Ubuntu and derivatives, there are also PPA (Personal Package Archive) repositories

(http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/repositories-package-management-ubuntu/) that host packages on Launchpad. Since anyone can create a

PPA, you should be careful when adding PPAs that are not officially supported by a project. Similar services for Fedora are called Copr

(https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/) and Koji (http://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/).

T i p : I f y o u d o n t w a n t t o u p g r a d e y o u r L i n u x d i s t r i b u t i o n , b u t s t i l l w a n t t o r e c e i v e s o f t w a r e u p d a t e s , l o o k f o r r e p o s i t o r i e s l a b e l e d

a s b a c k p o r t s . T h e y c o n t a i n n e w v e r s i o n s o f a p p s f o r o l d v e r s i o n s o f a d i s t r i b u t i o n .

H o w t o I n s t a l l L i n u x A p p s

1 . F r o m t h e T e r m i n a l

A long time ago, this was the only way to install Linux apps. Package managers didnt have handy checkboxes and menus; they were

command-line utilities. They still exist today in fact, you use them every time you install something with a graphical package manager, since

its just a front-end for the command-line tool. You can use them directly if you want to speed things up, or if you simply prefer using the

terminal.

Dpkg is the name of the package management system, but also of the basic tool for handling .deb packages. Its sometimes referred to as a

low-level tool, and all other package utilities build upon its functionality. You can use it to install a single .deb package:

sudo dpkg i packagename.deb

where -i stands for install. Dpkg cannot automatically resolve dependencies, but it can (re)configure packages and extract their content.

APT (Advanced Package Tool) has all the features of dpkg, and then some. It comprises several tools, such as apt-get, apt-cache, apt-add-

repository, apt-file To install applications, you need apt-get:

sudo aptget install packagename

Another useful feature is simulation:

sudo aptget install packagename s

It shows you which packages will be added or removed, and which files will be configured, but it doesnt actually install anything.

Aptitude improves upon dpkg and APT, introducing a graphical interface in the terminal, which you either love or hate.
http://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/repositories-package-management-ubuntu/


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You can install apps from this interface or by typing commands:

sudo aptitude install packagename

Aptitude is similar to apt-get, but it provides more information and guidance while you manage packages. It treats automatically installed

packages and system upgrades a little differently than apt-get does, and it offers advanced search options. Aptitude can warn you about

conflicts when installing or removing packages, and show which packages are causing a problem thanks to the whycommand.

The situation is analogous on RPM-based distributions: the rpm command-line utility is roughly equivalent to dpkg, your APT is their Yum,

and aptitude corresponds to DNF.

DNF stands for Dandified Yum, a new version of Yum that was introduced in Fedora 18. Both Yum and DNF can automatically resolve

dependencies. The syntax for installing packages is simple and almost exactly the same with each tool:

rpm i packagename.rpm

yum install packagename

dnf install packagename

On openSUSE, you can use Zypper (https://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/html/openSUSE_114/opensuse-

reference/cha.sw_cl.html#sec.rpm):

zypper install packagename

zypper install /path/to/package.rpm

Mageia has its own wrapper for rpm called urpmi (https://wiki.mageia.org/en/URPMI) with equally simple commands for installation:

urpmi packagename

and searching:

urpmq packagename

urpmq y keyword
https://wiki.mageia.org/en/URPMIhttps://doc.opensuse.org/documentation/html/openSUSE_114/opensuse-reference/cha.sw_cl.html#sec.rpm


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On Arch Linux, you can use the default package manager (pacman) to install packages:

pacman S packagename

and search for applications in the repositories:

pacman Ss keyword

However, if you want to install something from the AUR (Arch User Repository), you need a separate tool called an AUR helper. AUR doesnt

contain binary packages that pacman can manage; instead, its a repository of recipes for applications that have to be built manually.

Yaourt is one of the most popular command-line AUR helpers because it can install both regular Arch Linux packages as well as those from

AUR. Its interactive, so you can type:

yaourt keyword

and it will display the results as a numbered list. After you pick a number, Yaourt asks you what to do with the package. Alternatively, you can

just type:

yaourt S packagename

to install the desired package. Yaourt takes care of the dependencies automatically.

T i p : T o a v o i d t y p i n g t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n c o m m a n d e v e r y t i m e y o u n e e d a n e w a p p , c r e a t e a n a l i a s

( h t t p : / / w w w . m a k e u s e o f . c o m / t a g / h o w - t o - d e f i n e - c o m m a n d - l i n e - a l i a s e s - o n - a n y - o p e r a t i n g - s y s t e m / ) f o r i t .

2 . W i t h a G r a p h i c a l P a c k a g e M a n a g e r

This is the recommended way to install Linux apps. Just fire up your package manager, find a package, mark it for installation, and confirmchanges. Youll be asked for the administrator password, so type it correctly.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-define-command-line-aliases-on-any-operating-system/


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The package manager will occasionally select several packages for installation. Those are your applications dependencies other packages

that it requires to work properly. Some package managers will recommend and mark related (but not obligatory) packages for installation.

Its possible to disable this behavior in the S e t t i n g s / P r e f e r e n c e s dialog.

Dpkg-based distributions usually ship Synaptic as the default package manager, though some offer Muon:

Ubuntu Software Center will be replaced by Gnome Software (https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Software) in the April 2016 release (Ubuntu

16.04). Linux Mint (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/a-beginners-guide-to-managing-your-money-with-mint/) offers Synaptic and its own

product called Software Manager.

On RPM distributions you can find yumex (https://fedorahosted.org/yumex/), a front-end for yum:
https://fedorahosted.org/yumex/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/a-beginners-guide-to-managing-your-money-with-mint/https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Software


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There is also rpmdrake (https://rpmfind.net/linux/rpm2html/search.php?query=rpmdrake), which is a front-end for urpmi. On openSUSE you

can install applications with YaST (https://en.opensuse.org/YaST_Software_Management). Gentoo has a graphical front-end for emerge

called Porthole (http://porthole.sourceforge.net/):

On Arch Linux, you can use Pamac (https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php?title=Pamac) or Octopi (https://octopiproject.wordpress.com/about/)

as a graphical alternative to yaourt:
https://octopiproject.wordpress.com/about/https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php?title=Pamachttp://porthole.sourceforge.net/https://en.opensuse.org/YaST_Software_Managementhttps://rpmfind.net/linux/rpm2html/search.php?query=rpmdrake


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Both tools can search and install packages from the official repositories as well as from the AUR.

T i p : I f y o u w a n t t o i n s t a l l a n e w d e s k t o p e n v i r o n m e n t o r a n o f f i c e s u i t e , l o o k f o r i t s m e t a p a c k a g e i n t h e p a c k a g e m a n a g e r . I t s

m u c h e a s i e r t o i n s t a l l o n e m e t a p a c k a g e t h a n h u n t f o r d o z e n s o f i n d i v i d u a l p a c k a g e s .

3 . U s e G D e b i a n d W a j i g

Users of dpkg-based distributions can play with two interesting tools. GDebi (https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/applications/gdebi/) is a front-end

for APT that lets you install an application by double-clicking a .deb file. Unlike dpkg, GDebi can automatically install missing dependencies.

Its particularly useful when you want to install an app thats not in the repositories, but youve downloaded its .deb file.

Wajig (http://linux.togaware.com/survivor/Wajig_Overview.html) combines the powers of dpkg, apt-get, apt-cache, and a bunch of other

tools. Apart from installing apps and upgrading the system, Wajig can stop or start system services, convert RPM packages, and provide

detailed information about all packages in the repositories.

T i p : Y o u c a n s e t G D e b i a s t h e d e f a u l t a p p l i c a t i o n f o r o p e n i n g . d e b f i l e s . R i g h t - c l i c k a . d e b f i l e , s e l e c t t h e O p e n w i t h o p t i o n ,

f i n d G D e b i i n t h e l i s t , a n d c o n f i r m c h a n g e s . N o w y o u r . d e b f i l e s b e h a v e l i k e . e x e i n s t a l l e r s f r o m W i n d o w s .

4 . W i t h a S e l f - I n s t a l l e r
http://linux.togaware.com/survivor/Wajig_Overview.htmlhttps://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/applications/gdebi/


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This method applies to software thats not in the repositories and has to be downloaded from the developers website instead, such as

proprietary drivers. In some cases, this software is distributed as a self-extracting file with a .run or .bin extension. To install it, right-click the

file to access its P r o p e r t i e s > P e r m i s s i o n s dialog and mark it as executable.

Now you can either double-click the file to start the installation, or navigate to it in the terminal and type ./filename.run. The installation will

proceed automatically and the dialogs will look very similar to Windows installers.

T i p : S e l f - i n s t a l l e r s c a n a l s o b e b a s h s c r i p t s ( f i l e s w i t h t h e . s h e x t e n s i o n ) . Y o u c a n r u n t h e m i n t h e t e r m i n a l b y t y p i n g

. / f i l e n a m e . s h .

5 . C o m p i l e T h e m F r o m S o u r c e

Its rare, but it happens. Sometimes the developers wont package an application for any distribution, instead providing the source code that

you need to compile yourself. The source should be a .tar archive file which you have to unpack. It contains helpful files called README

and/or INSTALL, so consult them first. The general recipe for compiling apps includes the following commands:

./configure

make

make install

You would run them one after the other in the same directory where you extracted the source. However, exceptions and quirks might occur,

so you should read our more detailed guide on how to compile Linux apps. (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/compile-install-tar-gz-tar-bz2-files-ubuntu-linux/)

T i p : Y o u c a n c r e a t e . d e b a n d . r p m p a c k a g e s f r o m s o u r c e t o i n s t a l l t h e a p p l i c a t i o n w i t h y o u r r e g u l a r p a c k a g e m a n a g e m e n t

t o o l s .

6 . F r o m D i g i t a l D i s t r i b u t i o n C l i e n t s

All previously mentioned methods apply to Linux games as well (yes, you can actually find games in the repositories). However, theres

another way to install games on Linux, and that is via digital distribution platforms (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-digital-distribution-

services-linux-gamers/) and their desktop clients. Steam is already available on Linux (http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-steam-start-

gaming-linux/), GOG Galaxy is in the making, and Itch.io (http://itch.io/) is a praiseworthy alternative.
http://itch.io/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-steam-start-gaming-linux/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-digital-distribution-services-linux-gamers/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/compile-install-tar-gz-tar-bz2-files-ubuntu-linux/


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The desktop clients tie in with your accounts, so youll need to register first if you want to organize your games.

T i p : K e e p a n e y e o n S t e a m d e a l s ( h t t p : / / w w w . m a k e u s e o f . c o m / t a g / 5 - w a y s - t o - m a k e - s u r e - y o u - g e t - t h e - b e s t - d e a l s - o n - s t e a m -

g a m e s / ) t o g r a b g r e a t g a m e s w i t h o u t g o i n g b a n k r u p t .

7 ) U s e A p p l i c a t i o n - L e v e l P a c k a g e M a n a g e r s

If you want to get geeky, you can use application-level package managers alongside your default, system-level package manager. The

former are also known as programming language package managers. They contain libraries and supporting utilities for a programminglanguage, so if an application is written in that language, it can be easily distributed and installed with the package manager.

There are quite a few of them: pip (https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/quickstart/) for Python, RubyGems (https://rubygems.org) for Ruby, npm

(https://www.npmjs.com/) for Node.js, NuGet (https://www.nuget.org/) for the Microsoft development platform Some apps are much

easier to install with this type of package manager because of a large number of dependencies that might not be available in your distros

repositories.
https://www.nuget.org/https://www.npmjs.com/https://rubygems.org/https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/quickstart/http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-ways-to-make-sure-you-get-the-best-deals-on-steam-games/


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As you can see, there are several ways to install apps on Linux, each with its own (dis)advantages. When in doubt, use the package

manager, but dont forget there are other options. After all, its the variety of options that makes Linux so awesome.

W h a t i s y o u r p r e f e r r e d m e t h o d o f i n s t a l l i n g L i n u x a p p s ? D o y o u h a v e a n y t i p s f o r L i n u x b e g i n n e r s ? S h a r e y o u r t h o u g h t s i n t h e

c o m m e n t s b e l o w .

I m a g e C r e d i t s : Yumex screenshot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Screenshot-Yum_Extender_2.0.4-1.png), Muon screenshot

(https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/applications/muon/), Aptitude screenshot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aptitude.png), Porthole screenshot (http://porthole.sourceforge.net/),

Octopi screenshot (https://octopiproject.wordpress.com/screenshots/), Itch.io screenshot. (https://itch.io/app)

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7 ways to install apps and games in linux

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