# Ubuntu Software Center

## What is Ubuntu Software Center?

Ubuntu Software Center is a virtual catalog of thousands of free applications and other software to make your Ubuntu computer more useful.

You can find software by category or by searching, and you can install an item with the click of a button.

You can also examine which software is installed on the computer already, and remove anything you no longer need.

## Installing software

To install something with Ubuntu Software Center, you need administrator access and a working Internet connection. (If you set up Ubuntu on this computer yourself, you have administrator access automatically.)

1. In the Get Software section, find the thing you want to install. If you already know its name, try typing the name in the search field. Or try searching for the type of program you want (like “spreadsheet”). Otherwise, browse the list of departments.

2. Select the item in the list, and choose More Info.

3. Choose Install. You may need to enter your Ubuntu password before the installation can begin.

How long something takes to install depends on how large it is, and the speed of your computer and Internet connection.

When the screen changes to say “Installed”, the software is ready to use.

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## Using a program once it’s installed

For most programs, once they are installed, you can launch them from the Applications menu. (Utilities for changing settings may appear inside System Preferences or System Administration instead).

To find out where to launch a new program, navigate to the screen for that program in Ubuntu Software Center, if it is not still being displayed. The menu location should be displayed on that screen, below the colored bar.

If you are using Ubuntu Netbook Edition, an application appears in the appropriate category on the home screen.

Some items, such as media playback or Web browser plugins, do not appear in the menus. They are used automatically when Ubuntu needs them. For a Web browser plugin, you may need to close the browser and reopen it before the plugin will be used.

## Removing software

To remove software, you need administrator access. (If you set up Ubuntu on this computer yourself, you have administrator access automatically.)

1. In the Installed Software section, find the item you want to remove.

2. Select the item in the list, and choose Remove. You may need to enter your Ubuntu password.

If a program is open when you remove it, usually it will stay open even after it is removed. As soon as you close it, it will no longer be available.

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## Why is it asking me to remove several programs together?

Sometimes if you try to remove one item, Ubuntu Software Center will warn you that other items will be removed too. There are two main reasons this happens.

- If you remove an application, any add-ons or plugins for that application usually will be removed too.

- Multiple applications are sometimes provided as a single package. If any of them are installed, all of them are installed. And if any of them are removed, all of them are removed. Ubuntu Software Center cannot remove them individually, because it has no instructions on how to separate them.

You can use the Main Menu settings to hide unwanted items without removing them from the computer. In Ubuntu, you can find Main Menu inside System Preferences. In Ubuntu Netbook Edition, it is in Settings Preferences.

## What is “Canonical-maintained”?

Some of the software available for Ubuntu is maintained by Canonical. Canonical engineers ensure that security fixes and other critical updates are provided for these programs.

Other software is maintained by the Ubuntu developer community. Any updates are provided on a best-effort basis.

## What is “Canonical Partners”?

Canonical Partners shows software from vendors who have worked with Canonical to make their software available for Ubuntu.

You can install this software in the same way as any other software in Ubuntu Software Center.

## Do I need to pay anything?

Most software in Ubuntu Software Center is free of charge.

If something costs money, it has a Buy button instead of an Install button, and its price is shown on the screen for the individual item.

To pay for commercial software, you need an Internet connection, and an Ubuntu Single Sign On account or Launchpad account. If you do not have an account, Ubuntu Software Center will help you register one.

## What if I paid for software and then lost it?

If you accidentally removed software that you purchased, and you want it back, choose File Reinstall Previous Purchases.

Once you sign in to the account that you used to buy the software, Ubuntu Software Center will display your purchases for reinstalling.

This works even if you have reinstalled Ubuntu on the computer.

## What if a program I want isn’t available?

First, check that View All Software is selected.

If the software you want still isn’t there, but you know that it runs on Ubuntu, try contacting the original developers of the program to ask if they can help make it available.

If a program is available for other operating systems but not for Ubuntu, let the developers know that you’re interested in running it on Ubuntu.

## What if a program doesn’t work?

With tens of thousands of programs in Ubuntu Software Center, there’s always the chance that a few of them won’t work properly on your computer.

If you are familiar with reporting bugs in software, you can help out by reporting the problem to the Ubuntu developers. Most programs have a Report a Problem item in their Help menu.

Otherwise, look through Ubuntu Software Center for another program to do what you want.

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