Real‑world examples of installing software on Linux: 3 practical examples

Before we jump into specific examples of installing software on Linux: 3 practical examples, you need a quick mental model of what’s going on under the hood.

On Windows, you’re used to downloading .exe installers. On macOS, you might drag .app bundles into Applications. On Linux, things are a bit more structured. Most software comes from:

• Distribution package managers – like apt (Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint), dnf (Fedora), zypper (openSUSE). These pull software from official repositories.
• Universal package systems – like Flatpak, Snap, and AppImage, which work across many different Linux distributions.
• Source code – compiling software yourself from GitHub or project sites (less common for beginners, but still worth knowing).

In the following sections, we’ll walk through three core scenarios that give you some of the best examples of installing software on Linux:

• Installing a web browser with your distro’s package manager.
• Installing a code editor using both a .deb/.rpm file and a repository.
• Installing a media player using Flatpak, Snap, and AppImage.

Each scenario includes multiple real examples, so you can see how the commands change depending on your distribution.

2. Example 1: Installing a browser with your package manager (Firefox & Chrome)

Let’s start with a classic example of installing software on Linux: getting a web browser up and running.

2.1 Installing Firefox via APT (Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint)

On many Linux distributions, Firefox is either preinstalled or available in the default repositories. Here’s how you’d install it on Ubuntu or Debian‑based systems:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox

What’s happening here:

• sudo apt update refreshes your package list so you see the latest versions.
• sudo apt install firefox downloads and installs Firefox plus any dependencies.

This is one of the simplest examples of installing software on Linux: 3 practical examples because it shows the classic pattern you’ll reuse constantly: update, then install.

2.2 Installing Firefox via DNF (Fedora)

On Fedora, you’d do the same thing with dnf:

sudo dnf install firefox

Fedora usually has Firefox in its default repositories, so there’s no extra setup needed. This is a clean example of using a distro’s native package manager.

2.3 Installing Google Chrome from a downloaded package (Debian/Ubuntu & Fedora)

Now let’s move to a slightly more advanced but very common pattern: installing Google Chrome from the official website.

1. Open your existing browser (or Firefox you just installed) and go to:

   https://www.google.com/chrome/

2. Download the installer file that matches your system:

   • For Ubuntu/Debian: .deb package
   • For Fedora/openSUSE: .rpm package

3. On Ubuntu/Debian, after downloading google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb (name may vary), open a terminal in your Downloads folder and run:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

4. On Fedora, with the .rpm file:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo dnf install google-chrome-stable_current_x86_64.rpm

In both cases, your package manager handles dependencies and integrates Chrome with your system. This gives you one of the best examples of installing software on Linux from an external vendor while still letting the package manager do the heavy lifting.

For more background on Linux package formats and distributions, the Linux Foundation offers helpful learning resources: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/

3. Example 2: Installing VS Code as a real‑world developer tool

Next, let’s look at a developer‑friendly example of installing software on Linux: Visual Studio Code (VS Code). This is a realistic scenario for students, hobbyists, and professionals.

We’ll walk through a few real examples here: installing from a .deb or .rpm, and using Microsoft’s official repository so updates come through automatically.

3.1 Installing VS Code on Ubuntu / Debian with a .deb file

1. Go to the official VS Code download page:

   https://code.visualstudio.com/

2. Download the “.deb” package for Debian/Ubuntu.

3. Open a terminal in your Downloads directory and run:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo apt install ./code_*_amd64.deb

(Replace the filename with whatever you actually downloaded; pressing Tab after typing code_ will often autocomplete it.)

This is similar to the Chrome example above and is one of the clearest examples of installing software on Linux: 3 practical examples using a vendor‑provided package.

3.2 Enabling the VS Code repository on Ubuntu / Debian

If you want VS Code to update along with the rest of your system, you can add Microsoft’s repository. Microsoft publishes up‑to‑date instructions here:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux

The general pattern on Ubuntu/Debian looks like this:

wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | gpg --dearmor > packages.microsoft.gpg
sudo install -D -o root -g root -m 644 packages.microsoft.gpg /usr/share/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64,arm64,armhf signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/packages.microsoft.gpg] \
https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list'
rm -f packages.microsoft.gpg

sudo apt update
sudo apt install code

You don’t have to memorize this; it’s usually copy‑paste from the official docs. But it’s a great example of adding a trusted third‑party repository so your software stays updated with the rest of your system.

3.3 Installing VS Code on Fedora using DNF and the RPM repository

On Fedora, VS Code uses an .rpm package and a similar repository setup. Again, the official docs are your best source for the latest commands:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux

A common pattern on Fedora looks like this:

sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc
sudo sh -c 'echo -e "[code]\nname=Visual Studio Code\nbaseurl=https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/vscode\nenabled=1\ngpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc" > /etc/yum.repos.d/vscode.repo'

sudo dnf check-update
sudo dnf install code

Now VS Code will update when you run:

sudo dnf upgrade

This gives you another of our best examples of installing software on Linux, this time focused on developer tooling with automatic updates.

4. Example 3: Installing VLC with Flatpak, Snap, and AppImage

For the third major scenario, we’ll look at VLC Media Player, a popular open‑source project used worldwide. This section gives you multiple examples of installing software on Linux: 3 practical examples plus several bonus methods.

VLC is a perfect candidate because:

• It’s available in most distro repositories.
• It’s published as a Flatpak on Flathub.
• It’s available as a Snap on Ubuntu and others.
• You can even find AppImage builds.

4.1 Installing VLC from your distro’s repositories

On Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install vlc

On Fedora:

sudo dnf install vlc

On openSUSE:

sudo zypper install vlc

This is the classic example of using your native package manager. It’s simple, well‑integrated, and usually well‑tested.

4.2 Installing VLC via Flatpak (cross‑distro example)

Flatpak is popular on many modern Linux desktops because it works across distributions and isolates apps for security.

First, you need Flatpak installed and configured. Many distros already include it. If not, the official Flatpak quick start guide walks you through it:

https://flatpak.org/setup/

Once Flatpak is ready and Flathub is enabled, you can install VLC like this:

flatpak install flathub org.videolan.VLC

To run it:

flatpak run org.videolan.VLC

This gives you one of the most flexible examples of installing software on Linux, because the exact same commands work on Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, and many others.

4.3 Installing VLC via Snap on Ubuntu and derivatives

If you’re on Ubuntu or a derivative that supports Snap, you can install VLC with:

sudo snap install vlc

This method is especially common on Ubuntu Desktop. Snaps auto‑update in the background, so VLC stays current without you thinking about it.

4.4 Using an AppImage for VLC or other apps

Another interesting example of installing software on Linux (or more accurately, running software) is the AppImage format. AppImages are portable executables—no installation required.

The general pattern looks like this:

1. Download the .AppImage file from the project’s website or a trusted source.

2. Make it executable:

   chmod +x YourAppImageFile.AppImage
   

3. Run it:

   ./YourAppImageFile.AppImage
   

This is handy when you want to try a new version of an app without touching your system packages.

For many open‑source apps, you’ll find AppImages linked from their official sites or GitHub releases. Always prefer official or well‑known sources when downloading binaries.

5. More real‑world examples you’ll likely use

The three big scenarios above already give you strong examples of installing software on Linux: 3 practical examples, but let’s add a few more everyday cases you’re likely to hit in 2024–2025.

5.1 Installing a password manager (KeePassXC)

KeePassXC is a popular open‑source password manager.

On Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install keepassxc

On Fedora:

sudo dnf install keepassxc

KeePassXC is a good example of choosing open‑source tools for security. For general password safety advice, the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has helpful guidance:

https://www.cisa.gov/secure-our-world

5.2 Installing a chat app (Discord) from a .deb or Flatpak

Discord doesn’t usually live in default repos, so you’ll either:

• Download the .deb from https://discord.com/ and install it with sudo apt install ./discord-*.deb, or

• Use Flatpak on many distros:

  flatpak install flathub com.discordapp.Discord
  

This is another modern example of installing software on Linux from a vendor that targets gamers and communities.

5.3 Installing a scientific tool (R or Python libraries)

If you’re doing data science or research, you’ll likely install tools like R or Python libraries.

On Ubuntu/Debian for R:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install r-base

For Python libraries, you might combine your system’s Python with pip:

python3 -m pip install --user numpy pandas matplotlib

Universities such as Harvard provide Linux‑focused research computing guides that show similar patterns for installing scientific software:

https://www.rc.fas.harvard.edu/resources/documentation/

These are strong real examples of mixing system packages with language‑specific package managers.

6. Putting it all together: choosing the right method

By now, you’ve seen multiple examples of installing software on Linux: 3 practical examples plus several extras. Here’s how to decide which approach to use in everyday life:

• Start with your distro’s package manager (apt, dnf, zypper). It’s usually the safest and most integrated option.
• If the version is too old or missing, check for a Flatpak or Snap build, especially from Flathub or the Snap Store.
• For vendor‑specific apps (Chrome, VS Code, Discord), use their official .deb/.rpm files or repositories. That’s where the best‑maintained builds usually live.
• Use AppImage when you want a portable, self‑contained app that won’t touch your system files.

Once you recognize these patterns, every new app you install starts to feel familiar. The command might change, but the ideas stay the same.

FAQ: Common questions about Linux software installation

What are some common examples of software people install first on Linux?

Typical first installs include a web browser (Firefox or Chrome), a code editor (VS Code), a media player (VLC), a password manager (KeePassXC), and chat apps like Discord or Slack. These are all examples of everyday tools that work well on modern Linux distributions.

Can you give another example of installing software on Linux without the terminal?

Yes. On Ubuntu and Linux Mint, you can use the Software Center or Software Manager graphical apps. You search for something like “VLC” or “KeePassXC” and click Install. Behind the scenes, these tools still use apt, so they’re just a friendlier face on the same process.

Are Flatpak and Snap safe to use?

Generally, yes—if you stick to trusted sources like Flathub for Flatpak or official publishers in the Snap Store. These systems also use sandboxing to isolate apps. As with any platform, check the publisher and avoid random, unofficial builds.

How do I update software after installing it on Linux?

For distro packages on Ubuntu/Debian, run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

On Fedora:

sudo dnf upgrade

For Flatpak:

flatpak update

For Snap:

sudo snap refresh

These commands update most of the real examples we covered, including Firefox, VLC, KeePassXC, and VS Code (if installed from repositories or Flatpak/Snap).

Do I ever need to compile software from source on Linux?

Less often than you might think. With today’s package managers, Flatpak, and Snap, many users never compile from source. It’s mostly useful when you need a bleeding‑edge version or a project that isn’t packaged anywhere yet. When you reach that point, you’ll already be comfortable thanks to all the other examples of installing software on Linux you’ve practiced.