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.
For example, VLC. This is already installed on my machine, so the box left of the package name is shaded grey. Installation and Removal options can be accessed by right-clicking the package name.
Finally, if you encounter broken package warnings, you can check for these under the Broken filter and have Synaptic Package Manager fix these for you using Edit -> Fix Broken Packages.
The store doesn’t always get root access, so there can be installation issues. Additionally, I have found Synaptic to be reliable when it comes to dependencies.
Of course, the terminal allows for more detailed installation/removal options but I don’t think one can beat the terminal (I’m sure Aravisian is smiling) given that one allows a variety of commands to be input whereas the other is a GUI with the limitations inherent in any prepackaged (pardon the pun) solution.
Myself, I only use either Synaptic or the terminal.
Hallo Carmar, thanks for your guide to installing clamav. To use it now, I can't see it in the list of installed software; how can I find it and use and interact with it? I am a new user and not at all savvy. thanks, Thor [update- I've just had an idea and found the interface with the search symbol in software. I'm a very recent refugee from win10, and a help forum like this is a godsend for me]
It is noteworthy that several users have had troubles installing DKMS packages with the 5.13 kernel.
DKMS is Dynamic Kernel Module Support. What this is for is ensuring that a package that relies on certain kernel modules can be directed to them in a Newer Kernel should one be installed.
It appears that the 5.13 kernel lacks some support for this.
You might try installing and rolling back to the earlier 5.11 kernel:
Tap the esc or tab key at boot to bring up Advanced Options for Zorin and then use the arrow keys to select Zorin on 5.11... to boot up from. Then attempt the installation of Touchpad Synaptics.
The packages to install: sudo apt install synaptic menu deborphan apt-xapian-index tasksel libept1.6.0 dialog menu-l10n
This avoids installing Suggested Packages such as dwww (to read system documentation in a web browser), which futher pulls in apache2 and all its associated packages, but provides Synaptic all the pretty menus and dialog boxes and full functionality such as finding orphaned packages.
