Installing (and uninstalling) new software in Ubuntu is a snap. Almost all software can be automatically installed through a program called Synaptic. Synaptic houses a large repository of free software that you can search and install at will. Synaptic will do all the downloading, dependency solving, and setup. All you have to do is select the package you want to install and then sit back and let it do all the work.
To launch Synaptic go to the top menu and click on System >> Administration >> Synaptic Package Manager.
You will be prompted for your administrator's password and then Synaptic will open.
This is the main window you will be presented with each time you open Synaptic. Along the left are categories of different software packages. On the right is a list of packages in the selected category. You can see the program name and description. Programs that are already installed will have an Installed Version listed and the checkbox in front of the name will be filled. In the toolbar at the top are several icons. The most important are Reload, Apply, and Search. Search allows you to search for a program by keyword. Once you've selected a program to install, you will click Apply to install it. Reload downloads the latest list of software including the newest programs and version listings.
The easiest way to install a program is to search for it using the search function. Synaptic will provide you a list of software packages that have the keyword you search for in its title or description. You then need to click the checkbox in front of that package. Synaptic will ask if you want to mark other required packages. You should always do this otherwise the programs may not install correctly. Once everything is selected, click Apply. A confirmation box will come up and click the Apply button at the bottom of that box to begin downloading and installing your new software. When complete, you will be notified and you can then close Synaptic and enjoy your new software.
To uninstall simply right click on an installed package, select Mark for Removal, and click Apply. This will remove just that particular package and some dependencies may remain. Unless you are strapped for hard drive space, it is best just to leave the dependencies as you will probably just have to download them again later anyway.
Joseph Bales is a writer of fiction and humor, as well as a true computer geek and Linux guru. Visit his blog at josephbales.com.