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About a month ago, Canonical announced plans for an Ubuntu app store, codenamed AppCenter. As expected, the first version has shown up in the Karmic Koala daily builds, now under the name Ubuntu Software Store.
What is looks like now
The Ubuntu Software Store
The main view of the Software Store displays icons for each of the software categories, such as Internet, Office, System Tools, etc.
An application's page
Each application has its own page, much like Add/Remove, that displays a summary. An install button and a price (which is always free for now) is also displayed. On some applications, there is also a link to the application’s website. Eventually, you will be able to purchase commercial applications, as well as free ones.
Downloading...
When you install an application, a new section appears on the left. You can see how many applications are being installed and, by clicking on the tab, track their progress.
In the future…
If you’re not impressed with the Ubuntu Software Store, I don’t blame you. It’s really not much more than a new interface that does the same thing Add/Remove does. The exciting parts of the Software Store don’t really come until Ubuntu 10.04, when it will replace Add/Remove, Synaptic, Software Sources, and, possibly, Update Manager. Later you will be able to buy commercial applications in addition to the free ones already available. Over the next several releases, the Ubuntu Software Store could provide one of the first realistic ways for shareware developers to sell software for Linux and, at the same time, make it much easier for new users to understand the software installation process. For now, though, we’ll just have to wait and see.
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What Ubuntu need to do is get some really cool games. Free. Then get people playing them.
Linex will be more attractive to people if they get cool games.
You still can’t watch a flash video without pause and flicker, and not at all in full screen, but we have the – what – 5th generation installer? When is Linux going to grow up and try to actually give USERS what they want, instead of just what programmers want to program?
thomas – I can and have been able to watch flash (full screen or not) without any lag at all. That issue is mostly gone except for a graphics hardware options.
If there’s one thing the open source world knows how to do, it’s reproduce the same functionality over and over again without ever getting it right.
Yay! YET ANOTHER way to install programs. I bet this one will be just as good as all the rest (crap). Congrats, Canonical!
When will my sound card work out of the box?
When will my computer suspend and hibernate correctly?
If you are interested in Ubuntu Software Store (USS ?), you might want to check out allmyapps, a “webified” version of the Ubuntu Software Store. I personally do not understand why Canonical did not go full web with their USS… right now USS does look a lot like Add/Remove.
[...] A Tour of the Ubuntu Software Store If you’re not impressed with the Ubuntu Software Store, I don’t blame you. It’s really not much more than a new interface that does the same thing Add/Remove does. The exciting parts of the Software Store don’t really come until Ubuntu 9.10, when it will replace Add/Remove, Synaptic, Software Sources, and, possibly, Update Manager. Later you will be able to buy commercial applications in addition to the free ones already available. Over the next several releases, the Ubuntu Software Store could provide one of the first realistic ways for shareware developers to sell software for Linux and, at the same time, make it much easier for new users to understand the software installation process. For now, though, we’ll just have to wait and see. [...]
Thanks for writing about this. A small correction: replacing Synaptic won’t happen in Ubuntu 9.10, but probably in 10.04.
Still the worst name ever. Are they using Store to be clever like Apple? I wouldn’t have had a problem with it if Ubuntu was making custom apps and needed a place to sell them. This application actually houses open source apps. What is Ubuntu doing?
Gen2ly – Within a few releases, the Software Store will include paid apps.
finding the software u have installed is much simpler than add/remove
am more interested in PPA/launchpad integration.
if it doesn’t substitute synaptic i wouldn’t mind