gnome-software

Launch the GNOME Software GUI if it's not already running

$ gnome-software

$ gnome-software --mode [updates|updated|installed|overview]

$ gnome-software --details [package]

$ gnome-software --version

gnome-software [OPTIONS...] [URI...]

Common usage:
gnome-software

Less common for CLI package management:
gnome-software --install <package-name>
gnome-software --uninstall <package-name>
gnome-software --update

--help
    Show help options and exit.

--version
    Show program's version number and exit.

--install
    Open the GUI to install the specified package. This action usually requires user confirmation within the graphical interface.

--uninstall
    Open the GUI to uninstall the specified package. This action usually requires user confirmation within the graphical interface.

--details
    Open the GUI to show detailed information for the specified package.

--update
    Open the GUI to check for and apply system and application updates.

--quit
    Quit a running instance of gnome-software.

--url
    Open a specific AppStream URI or other supported URI within the software center (e.g., appstream:///application/firefox.desktop).

gnome-software is the official software center for the GNOME desktop environment. It provides a user-friendly graphical interface for managing all aspects of software on a Linux system.

Users can browse, search for, install, and remove applications from various sources including traditional distribution packages (like APT/RPM), Flatpak, Snap, and AppImage. Beyond applications, it also handles system updates, firmware updates, GNOME Shell extensions, and fonts.

It aims to simplify software management, making it accessible to users without requiring command-line knowledge, while also integrating with system update notifications.

The command-line interface for gnome-software is primarily designed to launch the graphical application or direct it to a specific action, which often still involves opening the GUI and requiring user interaction. For automated or script-based package management, it is generally recommended to use the native package manager for your distribution (e.g., apt, dnf, zypper), or dedicated commands for Flatpak (flatpak) and Snap (snap).

gnome-software heavily relies on the AppStream metadata project, which provides rich, standardized application metadata (descriptions, screenshots, categories) for software available across Linux distributions. This allows for a much richer browsing and discovery experience within the software center.

While it presents a unified front-end, gnome-software utilizes various backends (e.g., PackageKit, Flatpak, Snapd, fwupd) to interact with different packaging systems and update mechanisms. This modular design allows it to support a wide range of software sources seamlessly.

gnome-software was introduced to unify and simplify software management within the GNOME desktop environment, replacing older, more fragmented tools like 'Add/Remove Programs' or basic update managers. Its development is closely tied to the evolution of the GNOME desktop, aiming to provide a modern, integrated experience for discovering and managing software from various sources, including newer packaging technologies like Flatpak and Snap, which it adopted early on.

apt(8), dnf(8), flatpak(1), snap(1), pkcon(1), update-manager(8)