Software installation

The options to add applications and expand the system.

EasyOS boasts four package management systems. SFS is a compressed format that is never installed, intended for large applications and the system files themselves. PKGget is a format that is closer to a normal Linux package. EasyOS can also use the more mainstream AppImage and Flatpak formats. Each format has its own GUI.

Ubuntu on a live flash drive uses the same formats and tools as regular Ubuntu. This means that it can download packages from the Ubuntu repositories, and it has Canonical’s Snap system built in for more up-to-date packages. Both of these have a GUI front-end.

Linux Lite is connected directly to the Canonical software repositories and its own repository, and can use the same installation tools as Ubuntu. Synaptic is included as a package management front-end. In addition, Linux Lite has its own software installation front-end that includes about 30 common applications, such as Audacity and Firefox. Unfortunately, during our testing period, updating the Linux Lite repository failed with an error, even though it was possible to install software. Software from the Canonical repository software installed as expected. AntiX has its own package manager connected to Debian and MX Linux repos. From the command line, Apt works as expected.

Porteus has its own system of modules. For example, there is a front-end to install a browser, and this installs a module file. Unfortunately, some manual file copying is required to activate this module and make it persistent. We got the feeling that the modules system is designed for customisation of a system for possible distribution, rather than casually adding software.