Installing with Software Center

[nabalzs]

Hello, I have a small question: If I install something with software center, might it be dangerous (I mean for stability)? Because I wrote an article about Opensuse ( http://news.opensuse.org/2013/03/11/sneak-preview-iii-there-and-back-again-a-distros-tale/ ), and it said that adding ppas or installing softwares via Software Center or from other sources can cause instability...is it true? And I also read somewhere, that if I have for example ffmpeg, and I install a software what needs a modified version of it, it'll install it, but when I try to use a previously installed program what needed the unmodified version of ffmpeg, it will or can cause instability. Is it true? Because I like Linux, especially Mint, but it sounds horrible... Does Windows installs/manages programs better than Linux? (because I didn't hear anything like that about it) I don't know if it relevant, but I'm using KDE desktop environment .
Balázs Nagy

[Orbmiser]

Stick with installing software from the Software Center or using Synaptic package manager and all will be fine.
I have added 3rd party repos with little in the way of problems.

What your reading is unique situations with specific issues of 3rd party apps. Don't let those unique situations bias you from having a more true balanced view of how software is managed on LInux.

Did you bother reading the hundred others saying "How easy it was to install and worked great!" stories?
As there out there by the Thousands!
Or were you just looking for unique less common negative stories to confirm some unfounded fear?

I see this all the time in photography forums. Someone asking about a particular lens. And ignore the 7-8 chiming how great a lens then 1 or 2 chiming in how terrible not only that particular lens but the whole company is trash. All based on their 1(ONE)!!! experience and happened to get a bad copy. And ready to Trash everything about it.

And there are just as many bad experiences with installing software & drivers and meeting the Blue Screen of Death and unstable operation in Windows as in Linux. Comes down to user experience and not pushing the OS to bleeding edge like gamers due. Stability in any OS means using the recommended software (Repo's,Sources,etc..) and not installing stuff from new and unkown sources unless you are well versed in troubleshooting and recovering your system.

That Goes for Any OS! not just linux!
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[nabalzs]

Thank you very much for your kind help, it was very useful!

[nabalzs]

But what if I want to install the latest version of Playonlinux for example? Beacause is isn't in the Software Center...actually there is, but it isn't the latest.

[Orbmiser]

Some may require you to add an alternate 3rd party repo. Other's will have you download the package itself and install yourself.
This when things can start to go sideways or make your system flaky.

Not that it will but doing it too much can lead to stability problems. Just depends on the particular package.
You really have to ask yourself is there a valid need and reason to install the latest. And protect your working setup by backing up so you can roll back if something goes wrong.
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