Ubuntu's App Center Finally Supports Local Installs Again
If you regularly download .deb files and would prefer a GUI method of installing, Ubuntu has your back.
It's been a long time coming (and frequently requested), but Ubuntu will now allow you to install local .deb packages from within the App Center. This new feature should already be installed via a recent update starting with version 23.10 and up (with a catch).
Before you get too excited, it's not as if the Ubuntu App Center allows you to locate a downloaded .deb file and install it from within the UI. Instead, what you have to do is right-click a downloaded .deb file, click Open With, select the App Center, and allow it to finish the job for you. There also is a catch. Currently, the feature is only available to the Snap Edge channel, which requires you to switch with the command sudo snap refresh snap-store --channel=latest/edge. After you've switched channels, you'll then be able to go through the right-click process.
After a quick test of the Edge channel version of the App Center, I found it to be considerably more usable than the default. If, however, you don't like the idea of using software that's not been fully vetted and tested, I'd stick with the default and wait for the feature to arrive in the official release.
On top of that new feature, you'll also be able to update all installed Snap packages using the Update All options from within the management section. I will also mention that updating the App Center to the Edge channel solved a problem with a Firefox snap that was unable to update.
You can check out this Ubuntu app-center GitHub discussion to find out more.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.
-
Linux Kernel 6.13 Offers Improvements for AMD/Apple Users
The latest Linux kernel is now available, and it includes plenty of improvements, especially for those who use AMD or Apple-based systems.
-
Gnome 48 Debuts New Audio Player
To date, the audio player found within the Gnome desktop has been meh at best, but with the upcoming release that all changes.
-
Plasma 6.3 Ready for Public Beta Testing
Plasma 6.3 will ship with KDE Gear 24.12.1 and KDE Frameworks 6.10, along with some new and exciting features.
-
Budgie 10.10 Scheduled for Q1 2025 with a Surprising Desktop Update
If Budgie is your desktop environment of choice, 2025 is going to be a great year for you.
-
Firefox 134 Offers Improvements for Linux Version
Fans of Linux and Firefox rejoice, as there's a new version available that includes some handy updates.
-
Serpent OS Arrives with a New Alpha Release
After months of silence, Ikey Doherty has released a new alpha for his Serpent OS.
-
HashiCorp Cofounder Unveils Ghostty, a Linux Terminal App
Ghostty is a new Linux terminal app that's fast, feature-rich, and offers a platform-native GUI while remaining cross-platform.
-
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 Available for Apple Silicon
If you have an Apple Silicon Mac and you're hoping to install Fedora, you're in luck because the latest release supports the M1 and M2 chips.
-
Systemd Fixes Bug While Facing New Challenger in GNU Shepherd
The systemd developers have fixed a really nasty bug amid the release of the new GNU Shepherd init system.