How to uninstall unwanted programs in Linux Mint
Are you a Linux Mint user? Trying to uninstall unwanted programs but not sure how to go about it? We can help! Follow along as we show you how to uninstall unwanted programs in Linux Mint!
Software Manager
The number one way users can uninstall unwanted programs in Linux Mint is with the built-in Software Manager application. It’s essentially Gnome Software from the Gnome Shell desktop environment with some Mint tweaks.
To access the Software Manager on your Linux Mint system, do the following. First, press the Win key on your keyboard to open up the Cinnamon app menu. After opening up the app menu, click on the search box with the mouse.
Once you’ve selected the search box, type “Software Manager” and launch the app that shows up in the search results as “Software Manager.” When the app is open, follow the step-by-step instructions below to learn how to uninstall unwanted software with it.
Step 1: In the Software Manager, look for the search box, and click on it with the mouse. Then, type in the name of the program you would like to uninstall from the system.
Alternatively, if you cannot figure out the name of the app, but want to remove it, try looking through the various categories available from the Software Manager’s home page.
Step 2: Look through the search results for the app you want to remove. You’ll know it’s set up on your Linux Mint PC as it will have a checkmark next to it. When you’ve found the app, click on it with the mouse to go to its app page in the Software Manager.
Step 3: Find the red “Remove” button, and click on it with the mouse to start the uninstallation process. After you select “Remove” a pop-up window will appear asking for your password. Enter your user account password and select the “Authenticate” button. Alternatively, press Enter on the keyboard.
Once the uninstallation is complete, the unwanted program will no longer be accessible in Linux Mint. Feel free to repeat this 3 step process to get rid of as many unwanted apps as necessary.
Synaptic package manager
If the Linux Mint Software Manager isn’t good enough for you, the Synaptic package manager might be better for removing unwanted apps. Here’s how to use it to get rid of unwanted apps.
The Synaptic package manager, like Software Manager, comes pre-installed on all Linux Mint installations, so there’s no need to go over how to install it. However, if for some reason you do not have it on your system, you can install it with sudo apt install synaptic.
To access Synaptic, press the Win button on the keyboard. Pressing this button will open up the Mint app menu in Cinnamon. Once inside of the app menu, search for “Synaptic” and launch the app with that name.
When Synaptic is open, enter your password when prompted. Then, follow the step-by-step instructions below to remove unwanted apps with it.
Step 1: Find the search icon in the right-hand side of the app window, and click on it with the mouse to access search mode in the Synaptic package manager.
Step 2: In the search box, type in the name of the program you would like to remove from your Linux Mint PC. Then, click on the “Search” button to find the app you wish to uninstall.
Step 3: After clicking on the search button, Synaptic will display results. Look through the results and find the app you wish to remove from Linux Mint. Then, right-click on the app and select the “Mark for Removal” option. Or, if you want to completely remove the app (configuration files and all) select the “Mark for Complete Removal” option.
Step 4: Find the “Apply” button, and click on it with the mouse. When you click on the “Apply” button, Synaptic will begin to uninstall your app.
When the uninstallation is complete, you will see a pop-up window that says “Changes applied”. Click on the “Close” button to close the pop-up. Repeat this process to remove as many unwanted apps in Linux Mint as necessary.
Terminal
The terminal is the third way you can uninstall unwanted programs in Linux Mint. Here’s how to use it. First, launch the terminal on the Cinnamon desktop by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T. You can also launch it by searching for “Terminal” in the app menu.
Note: the terminal method should only be used by Linux Mint users that are comfortable with the command-line and understand how to use it.
Once the terminal window is open, use the apt search function to search Linux Mint for the installed program.
apt search name-of-program
Look through the search results for the app you want to uninstall. Apps that can be removed have an “i” next to them in the search results. Apps that are not installed have a “p”.
Take note of the name of the app you wish to uninstall from Linux Mint, and then type in the uninstallation command in the terminal window to remove the app.
sudo apt remove name-of-program
I used software installer on linux cinnamon mint to install GIMP. It worked well but I was trying to change the theme to a darker setup like Photoshop. I was successful putting a theme from linux into /usr/share/gimp/2.0/themes/ but it did not change the GIMP interface to a dark theme. I decided to uninstall it with the software installer which removed it from the menu only. All the files for GIMP are still on the system. What is my next move. I would still like to use GIMP in dark mode.
Thanks
Dalene