How to Install Software in Debian Linux

Method 1 of 3:

Using a Graphical Package Manager

Open the Synaptic graphical package manager. Synaptic comes preinstalled in Debian as long as you've installed the version with desktop support.^[1] You'll find it in your Applications menu, or under System > Administration. If you want to use a different graphical package manager, open that instead—most work similarly.
1. You can also run Synaptic from the command line using sydo synaptic.
Tip: If you can't find any graphical package manager, consider installing one through the command line, for example, one of the following: KPackage, Klik, Autopackage, Bitnami, Click N Run.
Click Search. It's the magnifying glass icon near the top of the window.
Search for the software you want to install. You can use the search bar to find something in particular or browse the list by category.
Select the package(s) you want to install. Check the box next to the name of any package you want to install. You can install multiple packages at once if you wish.
Click the Apply button. It's at the bottom of the window. Synaptic will now download and install the selected packages.

Method 2 of 3:

Using Apt

Open a terminal. If you're using a graphical user interface (GUI), you can usually do this by clicking the terminal icon or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T.
Run sudo apt-get update to update the package manager. After typing that command at the prompt, press ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return to run it. After verifying your root password, the package manager will update to include the latest software sources.^[2]
Search for the package you want to install. If you already know the exact name of the package you want to install, skip to the next step. Otherwise, run apt-cache search softwareName (with softwareName being the name of your software) at the prompt.
1. This can sometimes print out a lot of options, of which many are irrelevant. Be patient and read the description of every package to determine which one you want to install. If you're unsure, you can also use apt show packageName, with packageName being the name of any listed package, to get a longer description of what the package is.
2. If you're unsure what your software is called, you might try searching for a word that describes what the package does. For example, typing apt-cache search paint will print the package names of many painting programs, including GIMP and Krita.
Run sudo apt-get install packageName to install the package. Replace packageName with the actual package name. For example, if you want to install the package dillo (that's a web browser), you would type sudo apt-get install dillo.
1. If additional dependencies are required for the package to install, follow the on-screen instructions to choose whether to install them now.
2. To remove an installed package, use sudo apt-get remove packageName.^[3]

Method 3 of 3:

Using Dpkg

Download a package file. If you want to install a package that ends with the .deb file extension, you can use a built-in tool called dpkg.^[4] Start by downloading the desired *.deb file from your preferred source.
Open a terminal. If you're using a graphical user interface (GUI), you can usually do this by clicking the terminal icon or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T.
Use cd to enter the directory of the downloaded file. For example, if you've saved the file to a folder in your local directory called downloads, type cd downloads and press ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return.
Run sudo dpkg –i packageName. Replace packageName with the full name of the package ending in .deb. This installs the software package.
1. For example, to install a package called icewm_0.8.11-2.deb, type sudo dpkg –i icewm_0.8.11-2.deb and press ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return.
2. Type your root password when prompted to complete the command.

Samuel Daniel

Update 04 March 2020

You should read it

May be interested

How is Arch Linux different from other Linux versions?
arch linux is arguably the most misunderstood linux distribution. many people find arch difficult to install and maintain.
How to Restart Debian Using the Command Line
the linux operating system can run without a reboot not only for a few weeks but for years. but sometimes there's a good reason to reboot your linux system after a week or two, depending on the situation.
How to Install Steam on Linux
this wikihow teaches you how to install the steam app on various linux distributions. if you're running ubuntu or debian, you can install steam from the ubuntu software app or use the ubuntu repositories. for the latest updates not...
Notable changes and additions in Debian 11 'Bullseye'
debian is one of the oldest, most stable and flexible linux distributions in the free and open source world.
CrowdStrike also crippled global Debian and Rocky Linux systems many months ago, but no one noticed!
crowdstrike is a large cybersecurity company headquartered in the us, operating mainly in the field of providing defense software services and risk management against cyber attacks and malware at the enterprise level. .
How to Install DEB Files
this wikihow teaches you how to install software from a deb package on your debian, ubuntu, or linux mint system. files ending with the extension .deb can be installed using the gdebi package installer, ubuntu software manager (ubuntu...
How to install and use PHP Composer on Debian 11
php composer is a dependency manager for php. this dependency manager supports application development and the process of calling libraries and frameworks.
How to Install JDK in Linux
this wikihow teaches you how to install the latest version of jdk (java 12) on debian, ubuntu, and linux mint using the linux rising ppa repository. press to open a new terminal window. if you're already at the command prompt, just skip to...
5 reasons to use Flatpak to install software on Linux
you're probably used to the frustration when software fails to install. unfortunately, this is something almost every linux user encounters once or twice - and that's where application distributions like flatpak come in handy.
How to Install Arch Linux in Windows Subsystem for Linux
while popular distributions like ubuntu, debian, and fedora have been available on the windows subsystem for linux (wsl) for a while, you can now officially install and use arch linux as well.