Synaptic (software)

Synaptic Package Manager

Synaptic 0.62
Developer(s)	Alfredo Kojima, Gustavo Niemeyer and Michael Vogt
Stable release	0.70 / December 6, 2010; 11 months ago (2010-12-06)
Operating system	Debian and other distributions using APT
Type	Package manager
License	GNU GPL
Website	http://www.nongnu.org/synaptic/

Synaptic is a computer program which is a GTK+ graphical user interface front-end to the Advanced Packaging Tool for the Debian package management system. Synaptic is usually used on systems based on deb packages but can also be used on systems based on RPM packages. It can be used to install, remove and upgrade software packages and to add repositories.

Features

• Install, remove, upgrade and downgrade single and multiple packages
• System-wide upgrade
• Package search utility
• Manage package repositories
• Find packages by name, description and several other attributes
• Select packages by status, section, name or a custom filter
• Sort packages by name, status, size or version
• Browse available online documentation related to a package
• Download the latest changelog of a package
• Lock packages to the current version
• Force the installation of a specific package version
• Undo/Redo of selections
• Built-in terminal emulator for the package manager

It also has the following features for Debian and Ubuntu only:

• Configure packages through the debconf system
• Xapian-based fast search
• Get screenshots from screenshots.debian.net

Usage

The package manager enables the user to install, to upgrade or to remove software packages. To install a package a user must search for the program they want and mark it for installation. Changes are not applied instantly; the user must first mark all changes and then apply them.

History

Synaptic development was funded by Conectiva, which asked Alfredo Kojima, then an employee, to write a graphical frontend for APT, continuing the work initiated with the creation of the APT RPM backend, apt-rpm. Eventually Synaptic became used in Conectiva's install process. Gustavo Niemeyer also worked on it, while working for Conectiva. It is now maintained by Michael Vogt.

Alternatives

Main article: Ubuntu Software Center

In October 2009, when the Ubuntu Software Center became available, Synaptic and other utilities were to be replaced by the Ubuntu Software Center in an unspecified future version of Ubuntu.^[1] In Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot, Synaptic has been removed from the default installation, but remains available as a package in the repository. ^[2]

When one installs a new package, Aptitude, like Synaptic, automatically installs required packages (called dependencies). But when one removes a manually installed package, Aptitude also has the ability to remove the no-longer-used packages that were automatically installed.

See also

Free software portal

• AppStream
• PackageKit
• KPackage

References

1. ^ Canonical Ltd. (September 2009). "SoftwareCenter". https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareCenter. Retrieved 2011-03-03. 
2. ^ "Synaptic removed from Ubuntu 11.10". June 2011. http://www.webupd8.org/2011/06/synaptic-removed-from-ubuntu-1110-deja.html. Retrieved 2011-06-23. 

External links

• Official website
• Synaptic in help.ubuntu.com, including the improvements.