Ubuntu is often considered one of the best distros for beginners, but the default software center (GNOME Software Center) needs more polishing to make it a pleasing experience.
Why? Well, it's slow and heavy on resources, so most users do not bother using it or just have a bad time with it.
Yes, it may have improved over the years, but it is still far from a good experience.
And it looks like contributors from Canonical, and others have teamed up together to work on with a lightweight, flutter-based alternative for the Ubuntu software center!
Hold on, it is not an official replacement. But, I wonder if it is meant to replace Ubuntu Software Center soon? 🤔
🆕 Ubuntu Software Made With Flutter
This implementation of Ubuntu software using Flutter aims to be lightweight, adaptive, and fast, providing a better user experience than the traditional one.
But the prime factor must be usability, right? Because in the end, you're just going to install the software. And, you want to do it quickly without any hassle.
When I tried it on my system, I noticed that there is a separate section for Snaps and Deb packages under "My apps":
This should be convenient for dealing with different packages within a single app. After all, this is what I always wanted!
A unified experience to easily install/manage applications, too much to ask? 🤷
But what about the app info and installation page? Well, it has been redesigned for good with subtle animations to enhance the experience.
And the adaptive layout works as a cherry on the cake. This is somewhat similar to what elementary OS 7 has in store for us:
Sagar Sharma
So, it looks like a thoughtful implementation for the future, right?
Is It Going to Replace Ubuntu Software?
While the project contributors mark it as an unofficial alternative to Ubuntu Software, I think it is more of an experiment gearing up as a replacement.
Considering J-P Nurmi, Senior Engineer @ Canonical responsible for Flutter on Ubuntu is involved, this is going to be something exciting.
The only thing we can now do here is "predict". But, it looks like there are more chances of this being official, as things get better with the development.
Want to try the flutter-based implementation?
You can head to its GitHub page and follow the build instructions to get it running. Note that it is under heavy development as of now.
It works pretty well for something that is in active development.
💬 And I hope this replaces by the current software center. What do you think about that? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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