Other Alternative To Software And Updates Tool In Debian.

The software And Updates graphical tool also known as Software Properties GTK or Software Properties QT (if you are using the KDE or LXQT Desktop) is included in Ubuntu. It is a very handy tool that enables you to view and manage your software repositories, and update settings all in one place. Linux Mint has their own version of the tool which is only for Linux Mint. Debian have also had this tool in Debian but it has been removed from Debian Trixie (Debian Testing) and no longer works in Debian Sid (Debian Unstable.) It can still be installed in Debian Sid but does nothing so I think Debian have either disabled it or it is no longer compatible with later versions of Debian. Which is what I am running. I have Debian Sid on one laptop and Debian Trixie on my other laptops.

 I did find the Software And Updates tool very handy although there are some risks with using it as it also shows you the software repository keys which is not a good thing. As an inexperienced user can accidentally delete them, leaving your system unusable.  I think it is all right to view your repositories but you shouldn't edit or delete them unless you know what you are doing. So maybe Debian removing Software And Updates is not a bad thing. Because there are safer ways to manage your software sources which I will explain here. So here are some alternatives.

Text Editor.

Your software sources as can be viewed in any plain text editor such as Gedit or Pluma which is what I use and there are many others. On Debian your systems repositories an be found in /etc/apt/sources.list in your file manager. But you will need to open this folder as Root if you want to edit, delete or add any repositories.

Synaptic Package Manager.

Debian comes with Synaptic Package Manager which as well as being a software center, package manager and update manager. It also enables you to view and manage your software repositories. You can do this by going to the "settings" tab and clicking on "repositories." From here you can view your software sources and add new repositories as well.

Synaptic Package Manager.

Gnome Software Center.

Gnome Software Center also has the option to view your software sources as well as install updates. You can also chose to have either automatic updates or install updates manually or just ask Gnome Software to notify you of any new updates if that's what you prefer. Plasma Discover Software Center also has the same options. 

Gnome Software Center.

GKDeb Config.

GKDeb Config is a GUI tool that enables you to manage your system settings without having to use the terminal. As it is here that you can control your update settings. You will need to have the Unattended Upgrades package installed to do this.

In GKDeb Config go to the Unattended Upgrades Settings and just tick the box that says "automatically install updates" as shown in the screenshot. Or leave it unticked if you don't.

You can install GKDeb Conf in the Software Center or in Synaptic. Or you can install via the terminal by typing in "sudo apt install gkdebconf " without the quotes. Then enter your password when asked to do so.

GKDeb Config.

GKDeb Config.

GKDeb Config.

So those are some of the other ways to both manage your software and update settings. You can also watch my video on how to manage your software sources. I also did a video about GKDeb Config which I have also posted above.