Should I install programs from a source tarball (`.tar.gz`), from the Ubuntu Software Centre, or from elsewhere?

Posted by Flimm on Ask Ubuntu See other posts from Ask Ubuntu or by Flimm
Published on 2012-12-02T14:23:44Z Indexed on 2012/12/16 5:19 UTC
Read the original article Hit count: 103

Filed under:

apt

|

software-center

|

PPA

There are several ways to install an application in Ubuntu:

You can download a source tarball (generally a .tar.gz or a .tar.bz2 file) and install it manually. (See How to install a .tar.gz (or .tar.bz2) file?)
You can download a .deb file and install it manually, using dpkg or the Software Centre.
You can search for the application in the Ubuntu Software Centre and install it there, or use apt with the official Ubuntu repositories.
You can find a PPA or a third-party repo, and install it from there.

What are the pros and cons of each method? Please discuss security implications, frequency of updates and program reliability of each method in your answer.

© Ask Ubuntu or respective owner

Related posts about apt

How to remove a package entirely?

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
Hi I'm quite new to Linux, but before using it I was hearing that Windows programs, after uninstallation, leaves a lot of remains on the hard disc, and Linux removes all. I'm using Ubuntu 10.04. To uninstall packages I'm using sudo apt-get autoremove application_name or sudo aptitude purge application_name… >>> More
apt-get install fails due to dependency issues but apt-get -f install won't fix it

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I've just installed Ubuntu 12.04 and was about to manually install Rawstudio with the packages from SourceForge repo, but I've been stuck with dependency issues and I am short on apt command lines to sort this out. Here's the report I'v got : installArchives() failed: dpkg: dependency problems… >>> More
APT: Hold packages back from updates without APT Pin

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I know about pinning packages with APT; that's not what I want to do. Other questions have been answered with either using pinning or by using pins temporarily. I don't want to do this... What I want to do is keep packages back the same way the kernel has been: # apt-get upgrade Reading package… >>> More
Problem bash completion apt-get 12.10

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I've got an annoying problem with completion and sudo apt-get. To give an example: $ sudo apt-get in[Tab][Tab] in intel_bios_reader includeres intel_disable_clock_gating indicator-multiload intel_dpio_read info intel_dpio_write infobrowser… >>> More
apt-get update error after removing apt-key

as seen on Server Fault - Search for 'Server Fault'
After Running apt-get update on ubuntu 10.04 server, I found this issue, Can any help me to solve this issue. Before this I had remove apt-key. Where can I get this apt-key to add it again. apt-get update Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com lucid-security Release.gpg [198B] Ign http://security.ubuntu… >>> More

Related posts about software-center

How to I fix software center after installing the Linux Mint MATE desktop?

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I installed the MATE desktop using this manual but now i can't open my Ubuntu Software Center and can't open the settings from the update manager. I removed mate desktop but it doesn't fix the problem, i also reinstalled the software center, software-properties-gtk and software-properties-common… >>> More
Unable to run Ubuntu Software center in 12.04

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I think I've tried everything found. It is on just for a second. I can't even send an error report. What should I do? thanks in advance. so this is what I get after typing software-center in terminal (sorry, not as a code): 2012-06-16 22:54:17,610 - softwarecenter.ui.gtk3.app - INFO - setting up… >>> More
Software Center not opening after installing Ice from Peppermint

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
Software Center is not opening since I installed "Ice" software (used in Peppermint OS) from ppa:kendalltweaver/peppermint and i keep getting this error - $ software-center ERROR:root:DebFileApplication import Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/__init__… >>> More
How to remove the Mint stuff from my system after installing MATE desktop using MINT repository

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I installed the MATE desktop using this manual http://www.unixmen.com/linux-tutorials/linux-distributions/linux-distributions4-ubuntu/1975-install-linuxmint12-extensions-mate-a-mgse-in-ubuntu-1110- but now i can't open my Ubuntu Software Center and can't open the settings from the update manager.… >>> More
Ubuntu Software Center starts, then crashes before fully loaded [closed]

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
Possible Duplicate: Software center not opening I am brand new to Linux and Ubuntu, and I couldn't install GIMP without the software center. I looked up earlier how to fix it, and it said to fix my sources list, and I did, but now i get a new error in the terminal. 2012-08-14 15:29:08,941… >>> More