Among the many Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot enhancements, the most notable ones have come with the GUI interface and some external features, which I discussed in an earlier post. While most of the new features are quite easily identifiable, some great features may not be as noticeable as others. One such functionality is the application synchronization capability of Ubuntu 11.10 (via Ubuntu Software Center). This functionality allows you to identify, synchronize and install the same applications across multiple Ubuntu computers. For example, lets say you have a few applications installed on an Ubuntu computer at office that you would like to have on your home computer. In such a case, you can synchronize the applications from the office computer, to your home computer.
This synchronization option can be found within the Ubuntu Software Center from from File –> Sync Between Computers.
Going to this option will open a new window where you will have to login with an Ubuntu Software Center account. If you do not have an existing account, click signup to create a free account.
Once you are logged in, a list of installed applications for each computer (connected via the same Ubuntu Software Center account) will appear. You can identify and install the same applications across numerous computers using the software list. It must be noted that this feature only works with applications present in the official Ubuntu repositories.
It would have been more convenient if Canonical had provided an option to automatically install synchronized applications across connected Ubuntu computers. However, having this sync feature itself is quite handy for keeping favorite applications installed across numerous Ubuntu systems.
