Sometimes you may want to install software applications which are not in the the official package repositories of your Ubuntu installation. And if you want to install these software, then you have to:
Head to their official website.
Add their repository to your system manually (If they provide one).
If they don’t provide a Deb package repository, then you have to download their installation files (Deb, AppImages… etc) manually.
Install the application and then use it.
It is not a difficult task in general. However, if you have many 3rd-party applications that you want to install, or if you have multiple Ubuntu installations, then this will an exhausting task.
You will be doing the same boring steps many times.
Luckily, Deb-get utility is here for the rescue.
Grab Software From Their Sources & Install Them
Deb-get is a high-level software installation and management tool that works on top of the apt package manager to easily enable installing 3rd-party software.
The developers of the utility have already identified a list of where most common 3rd-party applications are distributed, and they have simply programmed their utility to download software from these places and install them for you automatically, so that you don’t have to do it by yourself.
The usage syntax is quite simple. Just like apt, you can run commands like deb-get install, deb-get show, deb-get search and deb-get remove.
If the 3rd-party application you are looking for is distributed in a Deb package repository, then that repository will be added to your system so that you can receive updates anytime you run the apt upgrade command. Otherwise, you will just need to run the deb-get upgrade command to update all your 3rd-party installed applications whenever there is a new version.
For example, you can list the available software for installation using deb-get show, and it will also tell you whether the software is installed on your system or not:
If you are hesitant to apply the curl command (If you are concerned about the content of the script), then you can manually download the Deb-get Debian package from GitHub and install it on your system.
The Bottom Line
Deb-get is a very nifty utility for installing many 3rd-party software applications on any Ubuntu installation. It removes the burden of Google’ing online for software sources for the applications you need to install, and makes it very easy to install these applications in just one command.
Just make sure you run the deb-get upgrade command from time to time in order to get the latest versions of the software that you have installed, so that you don’t end up with outdated software on your system.
With a B.Sc and M.Sc in Computer Science & Engineering, Hanny brings more than a decade of experience with Linux and open-source software. He has developed Linux distributions, desktop programs, web applications and much more. All of which attracted tens of thousands of users over many years. He additionally maintains other open-source related platforms to promote it in his local communities.
Enter your email address to subscribe to our newsletter. We only send you an email when we have a couple of new posts or some important updates to share.
Social Links
Recent Comments
M.Hanny Sabbagh on Revive that Old Computer with antiX Linux: “Yes, that’s the definition of “not being able to close the window”. Your average user does not know xkill, nor…” Apr 26, 20:34
Kairuku Waitaki on Revive that Old Computer with antiX Linux: “A minor comment: In the first part of your Critical Points, you mention not being able to close a window…” Apr 26, 18:22
RetiredIT on Fix Boot Problems on Ubuntu with “Boot Repair”: “Unfortunately, Boot Repair doesn’t always work, especially when installing multiple distros of different derivatives on the same disk. Another one…” Apr 5, 18:47
This table shows what open source alternatives exist in each software category. Useful to replace your proprietary solutions with other open source ones.
Remove all the ads you are seeing (including this one!).
Get an OPML file containing +70 RSS feeds for various FOSS-related websites and blogs, so that you can import it into your favorite RSS reader and stay updated about the FOSS world!
Stay Updated About EverythingJoin the Discussions of Power Users
Sign up in our modern forum to discuss various issues and see a lot of insightful, entertaining and informational content about Linux and open source software! Your content is yours and you can take it with you wherever you go.
on Revive that Old Computer with antiX Linux: “Yes, that’s the definition of “not being able to close the window”. Your average user does not know xkill, nor…” Apr 26, 20:34
on Revive that Old Computer with antiX Linux: “A minor comment: In the first part of your Critical Points, you mention not being able to close a window…” Apr 26, 18:22
on Fix Boot Problems on Ubuntu with “Boot Repair”: “Unfortunately, Boot Repair doesn’t always work, especially when installing multiple distros of different derivatives on the same disk. Another one…” Apr 5, 18:47
on Enable Zram on Linux For Better System Performance: “You should not directly edit sysctl.conf. Please see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Sysctl#Configuration for reference.” Mar 27, 00:25
on OnlyOffice 8.0 and the Dream of a Microsoft Office Alternative: “At work, we use it in a PC that is connected to a equipment that exports data to MS Excel.…” Feb 27, 15:00
