Canonical Unveils The Ubuntu Software Store

[tiagosilva29]

Beyond pushing out a new graphical boot screen just before the feature freeze went into effect for Ubuntu 9.10, Canonical released the first public version of their own app store, previously codenamed AppCenter, but now known as the Ubuntu Software Store (or software-store as its package is called). Canonical does have some grand plans for the Ubuntu Software Store and in this article we have some screenshots of what it looks like currently and how it functions along with some of their plans for the future.

With the Ubuntu Software Store, Canonical is hoping to unify all of the different package management needs into a single, unified interface. While this will not be achieved in Ubuntu 9.10, Canonical is hoping that all of the capabilities of the update-manager, Synaptic, the computer janitor application, gdebi, and other package management-related programs will be merged into Ubuntu Software Store. When this has occurred, it will be easier on the new end-user having to just deal with a single program to provide all of this functionality.

In time for the Ubuntu 9.10 release in October, Canonical is hoping that the Ubuntu Software Store will be graphically pleasing, provide fast and error tolerant search, provide detailed information about individual software packages, interactive demonstration of how to use the software that the user has installed, improved security for the package installation, and begin linking up the software-store with Launchpad. According to its Wiki page, in time for Ubuntu 10.04 LTS they are hoping that the Ubuntu Software Store will replace Synaptic, Software Sources, Gdebi, and possibly the Update Manager. In that first Ubuntu release of the new decade they are also hoping to send all apt: links to open with the Ubuntu Software Store. The Launchpad + Ubuntu Software Store integration will also allow the storage of ratings and reviews of Ubuntu software, which will then be implemented on the client side in Ubuntu 10.10.

With Ubuntu 10.10, they are also hoping to establish a mechanism for "establishing and conveying a trust level for software in PPAs." In that release to come in a year, that is when Canonical will begin selling select software from the Ubuntu Software Store. Canonical is already planning as far ahead as (or at least publicly) Ubuntu 11.04 where they are hoping to have improved sharing and tracking of software within the Ubuntu Software Store and the abilities to see what software your friends may have installed and other such features.

Well, those are the plans at least. As you can see from the screenshots, right now the Ubuntu Software Store is quite basic and really does not deliver anything new to the Ubuntu package management stack besides a simplified user-interface. The main screen provides icons for different areas (Accessories, Education, Internet, Office, etc...) while there are basic search capabilities, a list view when looking at packages in a specific area or the search results, and then a basic individual package view. Obviously, there is a whole lot of work left to be done before Ubuntu 9.10 rolls around and even more is ahead for future releases. Look for the Ubuntu Software Store to appear in Ubuntu 9.10 Alpha 5.

News source: Phoronix

View: Ubuntu Wiki Entry

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[The Teej]

I've never really thought about the unification of all these services, but I suppose it does make a lot of sense. Can't wait to see it in action :)

[brentaal]

It's nice to see them thinking about improving the app installation experience for users. There's no point in having three different GUIs to do the same thing, it just confuses newcomers.

AppCenter seems like a better name to me. Software Store? Sounds like a place where you buy software.

[-KJ]

Is this like Synaptic Package Manager? I like the sound of this better. SPM sounds scary for newcomers.

[robyholmes]

It's nice to see them thinking about improving the app installation experience for users. There's no point in having three different GUIs to do the same thing, it just confuses newcomers.

AppCenter seems like a better name to me. Software Store? Sounds like a place where you buy software.

I agree with you on that. Does sound like software won't be free, when it is.

I like the idea, and how that the support is there behind it. I have just finished a job for a customer using linux and one of the problems hasn't been solved. Flash is a HUGE problem. Firefox 3 (Default in 9.04) has broken flash, updates to flash and Firefox have broken full screen with some GPU's with no solution (Only one I got working was it crashed when you exit full screen). So I hope this goes some way to fixing these problems.

I hope they are area's for beta, alpha packages in this, that would make installing them a lot easier (Compiz Fusion comes to mind)

[tiagosilva29]

I, for one, will not welcome my new package overlord. Synaptic is good enough for me.

AppCenter seems like a better name to me. Software Store? Sounds like a place where you buy software.

You can buy software in the current App/Remove Applications thingie. Stuff like Fluendo codecs, etc. It links you to the Ubuntu Store product page.

[brentaal]

You can buy software in the current App/Remove Applications thingie. Stuff like Fluendo codecs, etc. It links you to the Ubuntu Store product page.

Didn't know that, to be honest. I only use cli apt-get (and occasionally aptitude).

[Lannister]

Hope that's for Kubuntu too, as packagekit is probbly the least user-friendly frontend I've used in Linux (that I can remember)

[Julius Caro]

Is this like the third app manager ubuntu will have? Or they have just renamed the 'add/remove' one?

And .. LOL@ it being called "store". Sure they can sell stuff. But I doubt they're gonna sell much anyway

[Syanide]

This will probably be to Ubuntu what mintInstall is to Mint, a simplified Synaptic. I like Synaptic as it is, and find it really easy to use.

[Lechio]

+1 for Synaptic. Don't see any reason to replace it, it's simple and easy to use as it is.

[Subject Delta]

I'll +2 on that, the package management system in Ubuntu is already first class, it is hard to see how it can really be improved

[MrA]

+1 for Synaptic. Don't see any reason to replace it, it's simple and easy to use as it is.

Exactly what I think. dpkg -> apt-get -> synaptic works very well right now. Another package manager will just complicate things with no real benefit. To me, it sounds like they're hopping onto the branding bandwagon that Apple's "App Store" created instead of solving a real problem.

[Growled Member]

I just wish Ubuntu didn't always look like something from the Windows 95 era. It's a great idea and I have no doubt it will be well executed.