Synaptic or Commands
 

Hi
I recently read in the " Ubuntu Linux Bible" the chapter about Synaptic Package Manager. I understood why one would use SPM. However SPM doesn't automatically remove packages if I understand correctly; and being so that it doesn't:

Is it better to use this command?
Or this command?
How would one know the right choice to make?

Im not sure if i understand your question.
"apt-get install" will install a new package
"apt-get remove" will remove/uninstall an installed package.

So the choice will depend on what it is you are trying to do. Install or uninstall a package

I think the OP is trying to decide whether package management should be handled through apt-get commands or through synaptic. Not whether apt-get (install|remove) is appropriate.

To be honest, the man page for synaptic says:
From the description, synaptic is just a frontend to apt-get. In other words, all synaptic does is convert your mouse clicks to the appropriate apt-get commands. So they should be identical.

EDIT:
When you say "SPM doesn't automatically remove packages" it may be that synaptic can autoremove, but you may not have encountered the option/config setting on how to do so. I don't use synaptic that often. So unfortunately, I can't say "yes, go here" or "no, it doesn't". Though, again, according to the synaptic man page, the implication is that you can "perform all actions of the command line tool apt-get in a graphical environemnt."

In my case it just depends on where I am and how I feel. If I already have a terminal open I will use apt. If I have my hand on the mouse I'll use synaptic. End result is the same.

Terminal readout about SPM
 

Now, I understand...Thank You

It is clear to me the "implication" So I'm thinking like "Roken" said: it just depends on where your at and what you might be doing that brings you to your decision as to weather opening a terminal is appropriate/suiting or use the SPM program to perform the desired task.

Correct; for example if you are running a server with no GUI, then you cannot use Synaptic, you must use command-line tools. :)

Apt-get vs. Synaptic (example)
 

I tend to learn from example so here's a for instance ex:)

I recently installed Avast for my Linux/Ubuntu OS and I used SPM to install it.
(That was a troubleshooting situation all of it's own before SPM did it's job)

Would the other option of been to use apt-get; thru use of the terminal?... (to successfully install that program that I downloaded )

I appreciate all the help and understanding I am given-

Afterall, no one is going to maintain my Linux machine for me-:newbie:

SPM vs. other
 

Thank You Snowpine!

I do not know what instructions you followed to install Avast or steps you could have taken to avoid your "troubleshooting situation." If it was a .deb file you downloaded from some website (not from the Ubuntu repositories) then you can typically use dpkg for example:

All of this information is officially documented here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingSoftware

And a helpful unofficial page:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installingsoftware

Thank You for the websites.

I download it directly from Avast to my desktop in a zip file and indeed it was a .deb file.
http://www.avast.com/en-us/linux-home-edition

avast! Linux Home Edition
Antivirus software for Linux

For a .deb file use dpkg (or double click it for a nice gdebi interface if you like GUI). At the end of the day, teh GUI is just a front for the terminal, and does exactly the same job. Reasons to use the terminal instead include:

i. It's faster (once you get used to it)
ii.If anything goes wrong, the terminal is more informative about why.

dpkg is the low-level tool that the system uses to manipulate individual .deb files, installing/removing, etc. You use dpkg when you need to install packages that aren't supplied through your system's repositories.

apt is a higher-level system that keeps track of all the .deb packages installed on your system, handles conflicts and dependencies, and lets you install from online (and offline) repositories. It calls on dpkg to do the actual package work.

Everything else is a front-end for and/or expansion to apt. aptitude, for example, is a cli package manager that provides a curses-based interface, and what some people say is better dependency tracking than the straight apt (and so it's not recommended to mix apt and aptitude).

synaptic and other programs are similarly gui front-ends. I don't know how much actual package tracking synaptic does itself though. I don't think it's much, if any, as I regularly use both it and apt, and have almost not problems between them.

The worst thing I've found that happens is that occasionally there will be some problem with broken packages that cannot be solved through the synaptic interface, in which case you MUST drop back into the shell and use apt to resolve it.

Note that gui package managers can often also be configured to work with other back-ends as well, such as on .rpm-based distros.

GUI and commands
 

Roken...and Senior Member: David the H:

I feel much more educated now and less likely to make a mistake with installing pkg's.

As a newbie it is very important to me to learn and understand principles, correct practices and commands. Afterall no one is going to do it for me and maintaining my Linux machine is my responsibility. You didn't have to write to me....THANK YOU!;)

By the way, I'm starting to enjoy as I gain more knowledge and things fall into place and make more sense.

Now I'm reading and learning about :

-getting the latest stable release of the kernel ( just learning not doing)
-formatting a partition
upgrading to the next U.E.2.9 (U.E. 3.0 just came out)

Have a great week; and again: TY
My source is:
https://help.ubuntu.com/