Synaptic (software)

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Synaptic (software) - Wikipedia

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(Redirected from Synaptic Package Manager)

Package Manager

Screenshot Synaptic on Debian Trixie
Original authors	Alfredo Kojima, Gustavo Niemeyer and Michael Vogt
Developer	Canonical Ltd
Initial release	November 13, 2001; 23 years ago (2001-11-13)^[1]

Stable release	0.91.5 / January 26, 2025; 8 months ago (2025-01-26)

Repository	github.com/mvo5/synaptic
Written in	C, C++, Python
Operating system	Debian and derivatives
Available in	English
Type	Package manager
License	GNU GPLv2^[2]
Website	github.com/mvo5/synaptic/wiki

Synaptic is a GTK-based graphical user interface designed for the APT package manager used by the Debian Linux distribution and its derivatives.^[3] 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.

Usage

Synaptic is a lightweight package manager that enables the user to install, upgrade or remove software packages.^[4] To install or remove a package a user must search or navigate to the package, then mark it for installation or removal. Changes are not applied instantly; the user must first mark all changes and then apply them.^[5]^[6]

History

Synaptic development was funded by the Brazilian company Conectiva,^[7] which asked Alfredo Kojima, then an employee, to write a graphical front-end for APT, continuing the work initiated with the creation of the APT RPM back-end, apt-rpm.

References

^ Wallen, Jack (3 February 2025). "The Linux tool you forgot about: How Synaptic makes software installation a breeze". ZDNET. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
^ "GNU General Public License, Version 2, June 1991". Bazaar Launchpad (archived). Free Software Foundation. June 1991. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021.
^ García, Joaquín (17 March 2013). "Synaptic, un gestor debianita en Ubuntu" [Synaptic, a debianic manager software for Ubuntu]. Ubunlog (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2019. ¿Qué es Synaptic? Synaptic es un gestor de paquetes, de programas visual, es decir, que cuenta con una interfaz e instalamos a golpe de click en vez de escribir como hacemos en la terminal.
^ Prakash, Abhishek (4 March 2024). "Using the Lightweight Package Manager Synaptic in Ubuntu Linux". It's Foss. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
^ Delony, David (2 March 2023). "How to Graphically Manage Packages on a Chromebook With Synaptic". Make Use Of. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
^ Hameed, Sharqa (17 October 2023). "How to Install Synaptic Package Manager on Ubuntu". Make Use Of. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
^ "Synaptic Package Manager Review". Softpedia. 24 May 2007. Based on this library, Conectiva company considered the development of a tool that should fuse the point-and-click simplicity of a graphical UI with the power of the apt-get command line.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Synaptic.

v t e Linux package management systems
dpkg	APT KPackage Synaptic Ubuntu Software Center aptitude dselect
RPM	APT-RPM DNF up2date urpmi Rpmdrake YUM ZYpp
Embedded systems	ipkg
Distribution-agnostic	AppImage Flatpak GNU Guix Homebrew Nix pkgsrc Snap
Others (binary)	Entropy netpkg pacman PiSi PPM slackpkg slapt-get swaret upkg
Others (source)	Sorcery Portage
Front-ends	Autopackage Listaller PackageKit GNOME Software Apper
Related topics	AppStream Package format
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