[Feature Request] Add further tooling for browsing and management of packages

[SpeeQz1]

Suggestion

Introduce the option to browse the installed .deb and Flatpak packages onto a user's system through the Software Sources tool or by adding additional tooling options to the Software Manager for the purpose of searching, sorting, filtering and managing packages more easily in a graphical manner that a user will benefit from.

Reasons

Since the removal of the GUI Synaptic package manager there has been no drop in replacement for more advanced management of user packages by Linux Mint, which has in turn hurt the ability for users to manage their systems in a GUI friendly way. (It is important to note that although yes Synaptic can be installed users are usually unaware of its existence and since it doesn't come preinstalled finding the app naturally becomes harder)

Synaptic allowed for more easier searching through installed packages using something as simple as sorting by installed version or package name (in both ascending or descending order), but also allowing for more complicated searches using specific filters.

A small note to mention is that list based views rather than icon based ones are usually much faster to go through when it comes to needing to find specific packages if you already know them roughly by name and it allows you to confirm much more easily in a visual manner what you are doing when dealing with multiple packages along with the option of removing several packages at once more quickly.

Some examples commonly found when troubleshooting with users which would've been better with Synaptic preinstalled are the removal of custom kernels or packages which are giving trouble to the apt updating process.

[HungryPolar]

This should be a thing in Mint 23

[AttilaLL]

If you want to God forbid find command-line tool for something and list between them then Software Center is unusable. You actually can not do many things without Synaptic.

[Fantu]

Synaptic was not removed, is still present and maintained (even if with low development in latest years):
https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/synaptic
https://github.com/mvo5/synaptic/commits/master/

[mtwebster]

We do try and 'think like a Linux beginner' all the time. It affects every decision we make. I feel maybe you're the one who isn't.

In this case, we think a novice user could get into trouble using it. We always did, but its installation was necessary for how our update manager worked at the time

Requiring an extra step to install it is reasonable, and we're also planning on having a look into some sort of maintenance tool for removing unused or unwanted packages.

[mortim]

I feel maybe you're the one who isn't.

You're not wrong lol.

[ost-guy-comeback]

mtwebster is not wrong and ost-guy that is me backed but in new account because i losed my 2fa keys of ost-guy account and i maded a new account caled ost-guy-comeback

[SpeeQz1]

We do try and 'think like a Linux beginner' all the time. It affects every decision we make. I feel maybe you're the one who isn't.

In this case, we think a novice user could get into trouble using it. We always did, but its installation was necessary for how our update manager worked at the time

Requiring an extra step to install it is reasonable, and we're also planning on having a look into some sort of maintenance tool for removing unused or unwanted packages.

In my discussion I mostly wanted to point out how there isn't an actual GUI based manager for installed software outside the the Software Manager, which visually is easy to use when it comes to installing software but the way the UX is currently designed and not optimized for the removal/management/finding of very specific packages (e.g. with custom kernels given in initial post).

With a more easier way of finding/filtering/sorting applications being shown with Synaptic.

Another problem that was pointed out for the average user is "assumed knowledge". The user does not know Synaptic exists, they would need to comb through multiple applications in the Software Manager or through a web browser to get it recommended, when usually a user should be able to directly find such an already integrated feature (e.g. the Windows Control Panel with the Programs menu) by simply searching within the start menu using common terms like: "software", "applications", "uninstall".

By having Synaptic pre-installed that reduced the steps a user had to take to discover such a tool.

Now this doesn't necessarily mean Synaptic should be brought back, but perhaps changes in a different manner can be done with several examples such as one of these:

• Introducing a visual way of achieving the same UX as synaptic through the Software Manager in an easy to find manner (perhaps 2 buttons with one for icons and another for lists similar to nemo?)
• Updating the Software Sources app to have a tab dedicated to managing packages (Flatpak and .debs) that can act like Synaptic
• Creating a separate tool that does the job of Synaptic (with support for Flatpaks)

[ost-guy-comeback]

good job