Update Manager is a program that updates all installed software and their associated package

Software package (installation)

In package management systems, which are commonly used with Linux-based operating systems, a package is a specific piece of software which the system can install and uninstall....

s, with important software updates for security or recommended patches. It also informs users when updates are available, listing them in alphabetical orders so that users can choose which updates to install, if any. It was originally written for Ubuntu

Ubuntu (operating system)

Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...

 although it is now part of the standard Debian operating system and other APT-based systems.

The Update Manager cannot uninstall updates, although this can be accomplished by other package managers such as Ubuntu Software Center

Ubuntu Software Center

Ubuntu Software Center is a computer program for browsing, installing and removing software on the Ubuntu operating system. Based upon the GNOME application, gnome-app-install, which is similar in function and appearance, it serves as a GTK+ graphical user interface front-end to the Advanced...

 and more technically advanced ones such as Synaptic.

In Ubuntu, the Update Manager is used to update the operating system to new versions which are released every six months for standard releases or every two years for Long Term Support releases. This functionality is included by default in the desktop version but needs to be added to the server version.

Distributions that use the Update Manager

• Lubuntu
  Lubuntu
  Lubuntu is a lightweight Linux operating system based on Ubuntu but using the LXDE desktop environment in place of Ubuntu's Unity shell and GNOME desktop...
  
  
• Kubuntu
  Kubuntu
  Kubuntu is an official derivative of the Ubuntu operating system using the KDE Plasma Desktop instead of the Unity graphical environment. It is part of the Ubuntu project and uses the same underlying system. It is possible to install both the KDE Plasma Desktop as well as the Unity desktop on...
  
  
• Ubuntu
  Ubuntu (operating system)
  Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
  
  
• Xubuntu
  Xubuntu
  Xubuntu is a Canonical Ltd. recognized, community maintained derivative of the Ubuntu operating system, using the Xfce desktop environment.The name Xubuntu is a portmanteau of Xfce and Ubuntu...
  
  

See also

• Synaptic (software)
• Advanced Packaging Tool
  Advanced Packaging Tool
  The Advanced Packaging Tool, or APT, is a free user interface that works with core libraries to handle the installation and removal of software on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution and its variants...
  
  
• KPackage
  KPackage
  KPackage was KDE's package manager frontend.It supported BSD, Debian, Gentoo, RPM and Slackware packages. It provided a GUI for the management and upgrade of existing packages and the installation and acquirement of new packages...
  
  
• Package management system
  Package management system
  In software, a package management system, also called package manager, is a collection of software tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages for a computer's operating system in a consistent manner...