Using Synaptic To Manage Packages
Synaptic Package Manager is a package management program that offers the same features and advantages as the apt-get command line utility but with a GUI front-end based on Gtk+. Some of the most useful features of the Synaptic Package Manager are that you may install, remove, upgrade, and downgrade, a single package at a time or multiple packages. Also Upgrade the entire system at once, manage package repositories or locate packages. You can select packages by status, section, name or a custom filter, sort packages, browse package related online content, download package changelogs, lock packages to current version, force install,  undo/redo and the Synaptic Package Manager has a built-in terminal emulator.

To open the Synaptic Package Manager from the menu left click and select Applications --- Administration --- Synaptic Package Manager

synaptic in the gos menu

 

The first thing we see is a quick introduction that gives us a starting point when learning about Synaptic. Here we can see general information about how to use the package menu to mark packages for installation.

 introduction to synaptic in gos

When the Synaptic package Manager loads we can see a menu across the top and a toolbar with large icons including Reload, Mark All Upgrades, Apply, Properties and Search. Categories appear on the left and packages are shown in the display window. After selecting a package a description will be shown below the display window.

 synaptic package manager

Installing packages is as easy and finding the package you want to install by using the categories or searching. Second mark the package for installation. Although you may mark packages multiple ways I've found double clicking the package name to be the easiest for me. Next select Apply.