Uninstalling applications in Ubuntu differs from uninstalling applications from Windows systems since the installation files for Linux applications are all packages. Depending on the type and size of the application, there are different methods for uninstalling applications. You can use the Ubuntu Software Center to remove simple applications. You can also mark applications that have several add-ons for complete removal in Synaptic Package Manager in order to remove all the related packages. Last but not least, typing command lines in the terminal is another option to uninstall applications.
Uninstall Applications in Ubuntu Software Center
Step 1
Open Ubuntu Software Center from the sidebar. Type the name of the application you want to uninstall in the search box.
Step 2
Click the application that appears in the results list. Confirm that it is the application you want to remove and click "Remove."
Step 3
Type your log-in password in the dialog box to authenticate your identity.
Step 4
Click the "Progress" tab on the menu bar to check the uninstallation status. The progress bar shows you when the task is finished.
Uninstall Applications in Synaptic Package Manager
Step 1
Open Ubuntu Unity by clicking the Ubuntu icon on top of the sidebar. Type "Synaptic" without the quotation marks in the search box and click the icon to open it.
Step 2
Type your log-in password to authenticate your identity.
Step 3
Type the name of the application you want to uninstall in the "Quick filter." Check the search results listed below the filter and locate the application you want to remove completely. For example, type "vlc" without the quotation marks and find the VLC media player application.
Step 4
Right-click the application that needs to be uninstalled and choose "Mark for Complete Removal" from the drop-down list.
Step 5
Click "Apply" on the menu bar and execute the process.
Step 6
Click the "Apply" button in the dialog box to confirm the removal of the application. You can click "Show Details" to see information about all the removed packages.
Step 7
Click "Close" to complete the task.
Tip
apt-get is the command-line tool that is used for adding and removing packages. Type the following syntax in the terminal:
sudo apt-get remove "package name"
without the quotation marks where "package name" is the name of the application package you want to uninstall. You will be asked to enter your password and type "Yes" without the quotation marks to confirm the removal of the application.
Warning
Before you confirm a complete removal in the Synaptic Package Manager, you should check all the packages that will be deleted in the "Show Details" section. If you find that some packages you want to keep have been marked for removal, do not use the complete removal tool. Instead, manually delete each unwanted package separately.