Ubuntu 22.04 was released recently. The most well-known and used desktop Linux distribution ships with basic productivity applications to get started. There’s a world of additional apps, utilities and games to discover though. Let’s take a look at enabling the Flathub repository, which contains hundreds of additional packages.
Get Flatpak
Out of the box, Ubuntu doesn’t have support for Flatpak. It’s easily added with one command. Open a terminal with CTRL+ALT+T then run the following commands at the $ prompt.
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install flatpakThe output should look as per this screenshot.
Press [ENTER] to confirm the installation. If successful, the command should complete as below.
Enable Flathub
Flatpak is able to install software from any number of remote repositories. The most popular is Flathub, which is not enabled by default. Run the following command to enable Flathub, after which it will be possible to search for, and install software from that repository.
$ sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepoGraphical Store
At this point it’s possible to search for and install software from Flathub using the command-line. Many users prefer to use a graphical storefront to search for applications. Ubuntu ships by default with a storefront called “Snap Store” which does not support Flatpak, so we recommend replacing it with “GNOME Software” which supports both Snaps and Flatpaks.
Run the following commands in the terminal to add GNOME Software and Flatpak support for it.
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install gnome-software-plugin-flatpak
In this command we install the plugin, which pulls in GNOME Software and other requirements. As before, press [ENTER] to proceed.
Remove Snap Store
Removing the graphical “Snap Store” will not prevent snaps from being installed. This step merely removes the confusion of having two graphical storefronts installed, one of which lacks Flatpak capabilities.
Remove Snap Store with the following command.
$ sudo snap remove snap-storeThere’s no confirmation required once you enter the command. But you’ll be told the snap was removed.
Restart
In order for all the above changes to take effect, we recommend either logging out and back in, or rebooting the system.
Browse for Applications
Now we’ve got “Software” installed, we can search for and install new applications.
Click the application grid in the bottom left corner. Find the “Software” icon and click it.
Get browsing!
The Software store can install applications from any enabled source. That could be the Ubuntu repository, Snap Store and Flathub, as well as any optionally enabled 3rd party repositories. As such there’s a small menu in the top right of every application page, enabling users to pick which repository to install from. Take care to choose the correct repository!
Enjoy!
The Linux Desktop 