Fixing the common problems of Software Center

[Luca_Pavan]

These are the issues happening really frequently on Software Center:

• endless loading
• slow loading
• blank Installed section
• missing search results
• Sorry, something went wrong:
  The name :(different numbers) was not provided by any .service files

These are their workarounds or fixes:
First, see if refreshing the Software Store is all you need.

gnome-software refresh

Otherwise, end all Software Processes, remove any cached files and reinstall the Software Application:

killall gnome-software

rm -rf ~/.cache/gnome-software

sudo apt install --reinstall gnome-software

Relaunch Software to test.

Some users may experience:

• endless Downloading change information... on any update on Updates section
• unexpected closure

In this case, please try:

killall gnome-software

sudo apt install --reinstall fwupd gnome-software

Additional troubles you may experience:

• There are no details for this application. after clicking Show details on right-click menu on a game/software on Zorin Menu

Launch Software Store and in Settings > Applications > click the software you want to open in Software Center > Open in Software Center (it's on title bar)

• about 30 seconds (online or offline doesn't matter) to load a game/software page after clicking Show details on right-click menu on a game/software on Zorin Menu
• Unable to install (software name): you do not have permissions to install software

Please run:

killall gnome-software

sudo apt install --reinstall policykit-1-gnome ca-certificates gnome-software

Check if Wayland is interfering (Zorin OS 17 and up):
Log out - then click the gear icon (click "sign in as another user" if you cannot see the gear icon appearing, then click the gear icon, then return to logging in as yourself) and choose Zorin Desktop on X

Relaunch Software Store and test.

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If you want you can try Synaptic Package Manager, maybe you'll prefer it. To have a short preview for its usage, you can check carmar's post below

Installing packages using Synaptic Package Manager GUI

Synaptic Package Manager is a graphical front-end for APT. You can use it to install, remove, upgrade, fix broken packages. Synaptic Package Manager accounts for root access and incorporates dependencies while also displaying the latest package versions. Installation: Use the terminal (ctrl+alt+t) and enter sudo apt install synaptic. Once installed, Synaptic Package Manager can be found under the System Tools sub-menu. Usage: Search for packages using the button on the ribbon menu. [search] …

Please report here any new one you may experience so I add it with its possible fixes or even suggest new possible fixes/workarounds.

Thanks to Aravisian for completing and verifying the post before its release.

[DeanG]

Or install Synaptic and use that... Been using it for years and can't recall ever having a problem with it.

[Mr_Magoo]

#8, I did as you suggested for the browser SRWare Iron (installed by downloading the .deb file from their website), Software Center instead brought up 'hello-ironhaven'.

Is there any way to add software obtained elsewhere to Software Center? I've contacted the SRWare Iron authors about adding it to Software Center, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that.

SRWare Iron I've used on both Windows and now on Zorin OS... same browser, same extensions, same everything. It's basically Google Chrome with all the Google corporate spyware neutered. It goes a long way toward solidifying the decision to move away from Windows.

[Luca_Pavan]

By what I know, usually users can't add software to the Software Center unless they create and publish them as other developers did, if it would be possible to add external softwares into Software Center simply clicking a button probably now it would be a huge mess. I know that you can click Open on Software Center (I mean, on Settings > Applications > the app name > Open on Software Center on title bar) even on those that you didn't installed from it but I don't know why there's that button if then the mentioned app doesn't even come from Software Center. For me, that button should be hidden.

[Aravisian]

@Luca_Pavan

By what I know, usually users can't add software to the Software Center unless they create and publish them as other developers did

Software Store shows only what is contained in the Main Ubuntu Universe repository.
It does not show packages that you have even installed other repositories for. Software Store is limited only to and exclusively to Ubuntu and Zorin Packages.

[TabNumlock]

Just tried it. Has old versions of stuff.

[Luca_Pavan]

What you mean? That even Synaptic Package Manager has old version of packages/updates/extensions/whatever? So what would be the difference with Software Center? Would be like having 2 software with the same problem.

[Mr_Magoo]

I think I just figured out a way to uninstall system packages from the Software application.

I issued:
sudo gnome-software refresh
sudo gnome-software --autoupdate

The Software application popped up and gave the "Let's Go Shopping" dialog box like it does on a new installation... but the 'Installed' tab now has 'Remove' buttons for all applications.

Once you close the Software application and restart it, it's back to normal, with system packages not having the 'Remove' button.

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Also... I'd written in another post (about what we wanted to see in Zorin OS 17) about having the ability to select / deselect portions of the OS (such as CUPS for printing and all the print drivers) to either install or uninstall them in one go, rather than having them remain in the system due to dependencies... and I think I've found a way of doing so... use tasksel and create custom tasks. If you run tasksel from Terminal, you'll see that you can install certain groups of software... you can also create your own groups, so we could have a printing group, and a fonts group (I've manually uninstalled all but English-language fonts), and any number of other groups. Then, if you find that you need, for instance, to print, it's just one click to install everything needed.

I've trimmed my installation down to 3.49 GB, but if I could get rid of the packages I don't use but cannot uninstall due to dependencies, I could get it under 3 GB.

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Also, because I've installed Synaptic like:
sudo apt install synaptic menu deborphan apt-xapian-index tasksel libept1.6.0 dialog menu-l10n
... which installs the pretty dialog boxes and menus, but doesn't install the Suggested Packages such as dwww (which allows reading system documentation in a browser, but which pulls in Apache2 and sets up an entire local webserver), I've got apt-xapian-index installed.

Now I can issue:
sudo update-apt-xapian-index -vf
... to update the index for Synaptic (and apt, and aptitude), then in Synaptic, at lower-left, I can click 'Status' and 'Installed' to see only the packages I've got installed. So rather than having to scroll through all 78491 packages to see the packages I've got installed, I just have 1618 packages to scroll through.

[Luca_Pavan]

Maybe you can create a guide, Uninstalling system packages, surely someone would like it, like for phones bloatware.

[haymanootha316]

Could try Nix package manager (it has all updated software/dependencies)...I installed it and now use it rather snaps and if I need any updated dependencies that zorin/ubuntu doesn't have, pretty much NIX has it.

Download Nix / NixOS.

Make sure you read the info though.

more info here if like...easier understanding maybe:

Nix Package Manager

[Luca_Pavan]

By my experience so far, I noticed that the most common way to fix ANY problem about this store looks forcing its closure, so right-click the taskbar > System Monitor > Processes > right-click gnome-software > Terminate and open it again, Kill if Terminate doesn't fix. Please don't attempt this procedure while installing an update or software as I never tested it in such situation and so I'm not aware of its consequences.