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Installing Software on Aurora

Flatpak​

Flatpak is the primary package method for graphical applications. By default, the Flathub remote is used which contains several popular applications to install from. Install Flatpaks with the Discover application.

Homebrew​

The Homebrew package manager is specifically for installing command-line utilities and software used in the terminal.

Docker​

Docker is a popular containerization platform for running and managing containers. Docker is included with Aurora-DX.

For the best Docker experience, switch to Aurora DX which includes Docker pre-installed and configured:

  • Docker Engine with full integration
  • Visual Studio Code with devcontainer support
  • Pre-configured development tools

To switch to Aurora DX, use the included ujust recipe:

ujust devmode

Learn more about Aurora DX and its developer features in the Aurora DX Introduction.

Distrobox Containers​

Distrobox containers are Linux subsystems of other popular Linux distributions which give users access to their package managers (like dnf or apt) and their package formats (like RPM and Deb).

They are commonly used for two different scenarios:

  • Used as a fallback for Linux software that do not have a Flatpak available
  • Development boxes

GUI Tools for Managing Distrobox​

While Distrobox can be managed via the command line, there is a graphical application that makes container management more user-friendly:

DistroShelf​

DistroShelf is a modern GTK4 application for managing Distrobox containers. It provides an intuitive interface for creating, managing, and accessing your containers.

DistroShelf Interface

  • Installation: Available as a Flatpak from Flathub
  • Features: Create containers from various distributions, manage existing containers, and launch applications directly from containers
  • Integration: Included by default in Aurora DX

rpm-ostree​

Note: It is highly recommended to only use this as a last resort.

Layer RPM packages to the host like a traditional Linux operating system which comes with major downsides such as:

  • High potential for broken upgrades due to dependency issues.
  • Slower updates due to adding an extra layer to the deployment.

Read more about layering packages to the host here.