Managed software
How easy is it to install new software?
All the distributions featured in this Roundup ship with a compliment of everyday applications such as web browser, office suites, etc. These default applications should help you to get started with the distribution. As you become more accustomed to your distribution’s way of functioning, you may wish to install additional applications.
All the featured distributions boast vast software repositories.
You can think of software repositories as a common pool of all available applications and utilities. So installing a new app is as simple as executing a single command using the software management utility. All the distros ship with a graphical software management tool, which can be used to install or remove applications quickly. They’ll also inform you if there are updates for installed applications, and let you install those as well.
The Deepin Store provides relevant details such as version number, description, screenshot and even user comments for the apps. All the applications are neatly sorted into different categories, and you can also access the top-ranked apps, based on ratings or number of downloads.
The Appcenter on Elementary OS provides a curated list of apps across different categories. While most apps are available for free, its also possible to pay a fee of your choosing for some. Should you encounter an app you like but don’t wish to pay for it just yet, click on the price button and change the value to zero. You’ll then be able to install the app without making a payment.
Pamac is the graphical software management tool on Manjaro. While it offers a categorised list of available applications, it doesn’t provide screenshots, user comments or ratings for the different apps on offer.
The Solus Software Center doesn’t provide screenshots for the apps on offer. The applications are split into different categories, such as Multimedia & Graphics, which is split into different categories for audio, video, graphics software, etc. The Internet Software category similarly comprises different categories, such as Instant Messaging, Email Client, Web Browsers, etc.