As a normal Windows user it is easy to go to some website, download an .exe and then click install. As long as you are going to trusted sources the chance of getting a virus or malware is small. Another great option is Chocolatey. I have created install scripts to nearly setup a new PC quickly. As a consultant that is sometimes given a client laptop for an assignment, I find it invaluable.
When I found out the Linux had the idea of packages built into it I was tentatively excited. I thought that I would be able to easily create an install script for Ubuntu using a single package manager. I was wrong. The Linux ecosystem for packages is splintered. There are:
- apt or .deb for Debian
- snap for Ubuntu but you could use it for other Linux distributions
- flatpak that can be used for any Linux distributions
- rpm for Red Hat Linux distributions
- pacman is for Arch Linux distributions that use .tar.zst
- appimage is a single contained file
So packages may be only available in a single package repo. They may be in multiple repos. Some packages have different versions on different repos. Some packages install but then don't run at all. There are some custom repos that you can add for a package type.
However there are positives:
- It is possible to easily update all the packages you have installed for a repo.
- There are GUI stores for the repos
I am still looking for some kind of Universal Store app that works well with snap, flatpak, and apt. I will let you know what I find.
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