Anithing NOT in Software Manager is safe? [SOLVED] thanks!

[hix]

Hi there,

this is Hix with the first Stupid Question! Don't feel sad yet, i'll have more chapters in the next few weeks!

I can't really pin point where i read it, but i did read somewhere that newbies should NOT install anything out of the system itself. At least not at the beginning.
since i'm in that category: ''newbie'' and i'm not really sure what can or not be trusted it would be helpful to understand how can i find out if a source is good or not.

For example, notepadqq (as an example only) is not on the software manager and on my search online i see several different command types to get it.
Why is the code different? Is this already a suggestion that some lines of code are not quite ''clean''? Or that there's something more in there then what i need? Not to sound paranoiac, i would just like to understand why this happens.

Thank you in advance,

Hix
Linux mint user for: 3 days
felling: shocked i din't convert earlier

[kukamuumuka]

https://notepadqq.com/wp/download/

[smurphos]

Nope you are exhibiting healthy paranoia in this case. Plenty of users can and do successfully install software not available from the official repos (i.e software manager), and plenty of others (normally but not exclusively newer users) break their systems trying to do so. Most of those successfully doing it have probably broken their system as least once in the past and learned from the experience....

Advice to a newbie is stick to what's in the repos and research what are available alternatives to software you might be used to. Geany is a good notepad++, notepadqq alternative that is in the repos.

Once you have a little more experience with the OS and have been able to research the various methods of installing non-repo software then notepadqq is probably a fairly safe app to experiment with (I can't be sure I've never installed it). I'd be looking at installing it from the official PPA as advised on the projects github page - https://github.com/notepadqq/notepadqq# ... n-packages and edit to add...the link provided by administrollaattori above....

[Flemur]

For example, notepadqq (as an example only) is not on the software manager and on my search online i see several different command types to get it.

There are a few typical ways to install software:
- from the repositories that come with the Mint OS. All you need to do is "install" with software mgr or synaptic or cmd-line.

- from extra repositories, where you add another repo for a certain program; you also get updates automagically, like other programs.
-- usually you can find a .deb file for those repos and download it and install from that, like a windows "setup.exe"...sorta. But you don't get notified of updates.

- "snap" and "flatpak", which I don't know anything about except that flatpak can end up using tons of disk space.

- compiling from source code. Sometimes a real pain.

Almost all those methods are provided for notepadqq
https://github.com/notepadqq/notepadqq

This is probably the preferred method:

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:notepadqq-team/notepadqq
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install notepadqq

Now notepadqq will be updated as needed, like other programs.

If I was going to install it, I'd download the .deb file(s) rather than adding a PPA (like above)
"Download a deb package from the Ubuntu PPA: download" --> a list; pick the version that matches your Mint (actually the Ubuntu version your Mint is based on), for me "xenial" then "amd64" -> 3 files:

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notepadqq-common_1.4.4-1~xenial1_all.deb (2.2 MiB)
notepadqq-gtk_1.4.4-1~xenial1_all.deb (1.2 KiB)
notepadqq_1.4.4-1~xenial1_amd64.deb (405.9 KiB)

download them, then do

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg -i note*deb

and it **should** be installed.

Edit: I've only heard of one piece of linux software that contained "malware"....don't recall what it was. It's not like windows where "free" programs install malware to reset your browser home page, or other not-horrible but not nice things.

[BenTrabetere]

I did read somewhere that newbies should NOT install anything out of the system itself. At least not at the beginning.

I think this is good advice - I think newbies should learn the basics and become comfortable using Linux Mint before they venture outside Software Manager. How long "the beginning" lasts is hard to pinpoint, but there is a point to where the 'in system' approach is not realistic. There is a lot of very good, very safe software out there that requires you to go outside Software Manager.

For example, notepadqq (as an example only) is not on the software manager and on my search online i see several different command types to get it.

I have two versions of notepadqq on my system - I added the PPA and installed it, I installed the Snap.

I have not had any problems with either versions. The PPA/installed version is the one I use the most, but the Snap runs well on my antique system.

[hix]

Thanks to all of you!

Notepadqq was just an example. But I do get the point of the several ways to install a software. I read the post on help for newbies , my question is about safetiness.

Yes I come from Windows 10, I used notepad++, I now need a similar piece of software.
As for many other "apps" I used before, but I'm confident that it won't be a problem - being that there's lots of choices- but mostly, because i only did the switch to mint because I already used many of the base software that comes preinstalled.

Now, I'll do my research on "snap" and "flatpak" on the pc later, I'm trying to type an answer on my phone right now. Hope it's clear enough.
Bottom line was: I just don't want to type anything on the command line that would "break my system trying to install a piece of software that I don't recognize the source" (yet).



Edit: I'm banning myself from installing wine or virtual box for at least a full week, I want to find alternative to a problem and not to emulate win as a solution.

[JoeFootball]

... I want to find alternative to a problem and not to emulate win as a solution.

Excellent!

EDIT: https://alternativeto.net/

Joe

[phd21]

Hi hix,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Linux Mint and its excellent forum!

I just read your post and the good replies to it. Here are my thoughts on this as well.

If you are coming from another operating system like MS Windows or Mac and you are used to using certain software always look in the Software Manager or Synaptic Package Manager (SPM) to see if that software is available. If it is not, check to see if the software is available for Linux from the developer's website and use their instructions to install it (trying to avoid compiling software from source code). If the software is not available for Linux, then there are probably very good to excellent Linux alternatives to almost any software that is available. You can search this forum or post a specific question for whatever software you are looking for.

As you now know, "Notepadd ++" has a clone called "notepadqq" which can be installed using the instructions others have already posted. PPA's will keep software updated and provide newer versions, whereas easy to install Linux ".deb" files, which are like MS Windows ".exe" files, will usually not provide future updates. PPA's from the software developers are usually safe to install. It is recommended to do some research before installing 3rd party PPA's for software, and you can always ask here or search here.

There are also many note applications available depending upon what you used "notedpad ++" for.

A really great note application for storing notes on anything including learning about Linux Mint and Linux is called "CherryTree" and is in the Software Manager or Synaptic Package Manager (SPM) although they also have newer versions available using their PPA.

Flatpak, Appimage And Snap - How Do They Stack?
https://www.fossmint.com/flatpak-appima ... hey-stack/

What are the differences between snaps, appimage, flatpak and others? - Ask Ubuntu
https://askubuntu.com/questions/866511/ ... and-others


Hope this helps ...

[silvatech]

welcome to the community hix, its wise to just try to find software first. Quite a ton of alternatives out their if the program is not native in most cases. If you cant find a program you need. Make a post in the forums or feel free to pm me if you don't see an answer from your post in the forums. I have quite a long list of alternative software.

In fact I should document it up a bit better and post it up on the forums here sometime.

[JerryF]

hix,

A suggestion I read from the more knowledgeable than I am:

Create another user and test new things using that account. Many times, if something goes wrong, it's the user's account that gets damaged but not other accounts.