In several
Linux
Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ...
s, the Software Updater program updates installed software and their associated
packages with important software updates for security or with recommended patches. It also informs users when updates are available, listing them in alphabetical order for users to choose which updates to install, if any. It was originally written for
Ubuntu
Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed primarily of free and open-source software. Developed by the British company Canonical (company), Canonical and a community of contributors under a Meritocracy, meritocratic gover ...
, although it is now part of other
APT-based systems.
The application was originally called ''Update Manager''; it was announced in May 2012 that starting with
Ubuntu 12.10 the name would change to ''Software Updater'' to better describe its functions.
Technically the rename only affected the
GUI; the name of the APT package containing the application, the executable file itself, and internally the software itself, still use the name
update-manager.
The Software Updater cannot uninstall updates, although this can be accomplished by other package managers such as
Ubuntu Software Center and more technically advanced ones such as
Synaptic.
In Ubuntu, the Software Updater can update the operating system to new versions which are released every six months for standard releases or every two years for Long Term Support releases. This functionality is included by default in the desktop version but needs to be added to the server version.
Distributions that use the Software Updater
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Kubuntu
Kubuntu ( ) is an official flavor of the Ubuntu operating system that uses the KDE Plasma Desktop Environment instead of the GNOME desktop environment. As part of the Ubuntu project, Kubuntu uses the same underlying systems. Kubuntu shares th ...
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Ubuntu
Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed primarily of free and open-source software. Developed by the British company Canonical (company), Canonical and a community of contributors under a Meritocracy, meritocratic gover ...
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Ubuntu GNOME
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Ubuntu Kylin
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Ubuntu MATE
Ubuntu MATE is a Free and open-source software, free and open-source Linux distribution and an official derivative work, derivative of Ubuntu. Its main differentiation from Ubuntu is that it uses the MATE (software), MATE desktop environment as it ...
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Xubuntu
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Zorin OS
See also
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Advanced Packaging Tool
Advanced Package Tool (APT) is a free-software user interface that works with core libraries to handle the installation and removal of software on Debian and Debian-based Linux distributions. APT simplifies the process of managing software on ...
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KPackage
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Package management system
A package manager or package management system is a collection of software tools that automates the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing computer programs for a computer in a consistent manner.
A package manager deals wi ...
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Synaptic (software)
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Ubuntu Software Center
References
External links
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{{Ubuntu
Linux package management-related software
Package management software that uses GTK
Software update managers
Ubuntu