# How can I backup a list of the apps installed via "Software"?

**URL:** <https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [April 26, 2020, 12:44pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432 "2020-04-26T12:44:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fkromer](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fkromer/32/2314_2.png) [@fkromer](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fkromer)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 12:44pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/1 "2020-04-26T12:44:56Z")

</div>

I’d like to setup Ubuntu Budgie for my girlfriend and enable her to restore her installed apps on her own. Is it possible to export a list of installed apps and import it later to restore installed apps?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 1:00pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/2 "2020-04-26T13:00:01Z")

</div>

This the sort of thing you are referring to?

> **[How to Backup and Restore Your Apps and PPAs in Ubuntu Using Aptik](https://www.howtogeek.com/206454/how-to-backup-and-restore-your-apps-and-ppas-in-ubuntu-using-aptik/)**
>
> If you need to reinstall Ubuntu or if you just want to install a new version from scratch, wouldn’t it be useful to have an easy way to reinstall all your apps and settings? You can easily accomplish this using a free tool called Aptik.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fkromer](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fkromer/32/2314_2.png) [@fkromer](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fkromer)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/3 "2020-04-26T13:49:11Z")

</div>

Yes. Something as easy as possible to use. However Trying to add the ppa failed. In German:

`$ sudo apt-add-repository ppa:teejee2008/ppa -y OK:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease Ign:2 http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu focal InRelease OK:3 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease OK:4 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease Fehl:5 http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu focal Release 404 Not Found [IP: 2001:67c:1560:8008::15 80] OK:6 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease Paketlisten werden gelesen... Fertig E: Das Depot »http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu focal Release« enthält keine Release-Datei. N: Eine Aktualisierung von solch einem Depot kann nicht auf eine sichere Art durchgeführt werden, daher ist es standardmäßig deaktiviert. N: Weitere Details zur Erzeugung von Paketdepots sowie zu deren Benutzerkonfiguration finden Sie in der Handbuchseite apt-secure(8).`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/4 "2020-04-26T14:08:59Z")

</div>

Click the contact button on the ppa … ask if they are is willing to update for 20.04

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fkromer](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fkromer/32/2314_2.png) [@fkromer](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fkromer)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/5 "2020-04-26T14:19:05Z")

</div>

The reason for the fail is that `http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu focal Release` does not contain a release file.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FireBird9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea5d25/32.png) [@FireBird9](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/FireBird9)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/6 "2020-04-26T19:01:06Z")

</div>

> **[linuxmint/mintbackup](https://github.com/linuxmint/mintbackup)**
>
> The mintBackup Backup Tool. Contribute to linuxmint/mintbackup development by creating an account on GitHub.

![Screenshot from 2020-04-27 00-28-47](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/ubuntubudgie/original/2X/b/bbf503b5c73e83dfde4b801d6def39ed75ee2699.png)

Simple And Easy To Use…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ruwe](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/ruwe/32/2155_2.png) [@ruwe](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/ruwe)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/7 "2020-04-26T21:32:29Z")

</div>

Looks cool … does this tool work for Ubuntu, or only Linux Mint? These are different platforms, right?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coeur-Noir](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/coeur-noir/32/4515_2.png) [@Coeur-Noir](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Coeur-Noir)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/8 "2020-04-27T02:19:09Z")

</div>

`apt-mark showmanual`  
will show you a list of manually installed packages.

`apt-mark showmanual > ~/package-list`  
will save that list into a file named _package-list_ in your personal folder.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fkromer](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fkromer/32/2314_2.png) [@fkromer](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fkromer)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 12:45pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/9 "2020-04-27T12:45:12Z")

</div>

Thx. I’ll give it a try.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fkromer](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fkromer/32/2314_2.png) [@fkromer](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fkromer)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/10 "2020-04-27T12:46:05Z")

</div>

For the laptop of my girlfriend I need something super simple. The command line is no choice in this case.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coeur-Noir](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/coeur-noir/32/4515_2.png) [@Coeur-Noir](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Coeur-Noir)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 2:38pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/11 "2020-04-27T14:38:28Z")

</div>

Nothing’s easier than this command here.  
Already installed and immediately available.

You asked for a list of installed things, that’s exactly what it provides, a damn easy to read list.

You can later use that list in an « install » command, or just as a memo while using software or synaptic.

Guess that’s what mintbackup uses too.

Talking bout synaptic, there is also a history in and some export tools.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fkromer](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fkromer/32/2314_2.png) [@fkromer](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fkromer)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/12 "2020-04-27T17:49:36Z")

</div>

> [@Coeur-Noir](#):
>
> `apt-mark showmanual`

This shows way more packages than I installed manually. The point is that my girlfriend should be able to backup and restore her software not me 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coeur-Noir](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/coeur-noir/32/4515_2.png) [@Coeur-Noir](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Coeur-Noir)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/13 "2020-04-27T21:38:22Z")

</div>

Indeed, some packages installed by default are marked as manually installed.  
And it lists only APT seen packages ( no snap / flatpak / appimage ).  
But in case of restoration, packages already installed will be skipped or ignored.

Why do you think your girlfriend’s applications may disappear ? Ok we never know what may happen but if she knows how to install / uninstall something ( through « software / app-store-like ), wouldn’t be enough ?

It’s interesting though. Maybe a script that’d save that list at each login, keeping only the four or five more recent lists as a memo, in case something really bad happened ? I don’t know, maybe that already exists in some logs in the system ?

Anyway, you can download mintbackup’s .deb package from  
[https://mint.pkgs.org/19.3/mint-main-amd64/mintbackup\_2.3.8\_all.deb.html](https://mint.pkgs.org/19.3/mint-main-amd64/mintbackup_2.3.8_all.deb.html)  
it does not look to have any « mint-specific » dependencies.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FireBird9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea5d25/32.png) [@FireBird9](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/FireBird9)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 8:17am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/how-can-i-backup-a-list-of-the-apps-installed-via-software/3432/14 "2020-04-28T08:17:01Z")

</div>

@ruwe Yes Dear Works Fine I Thing, Both Are Debian Based You Shoud Try It 🤭