There are several ways to install an application in Ubuntu:
You can download a source tarball (generally a
.tar.gz
or a.tar.bz2
file) and install it manually. (See How do I install a .tar.gz (or .tar.bz2) file?)You can download a
.deb
file and install it manually, usingdpkg
or the Software Centre.You can search for the application in the Ubuntu Software Centre and install it there, or use
apt
with the official Ubuntu repositories.You can find a PPA or a third-party repo, and install it from there.
What are the pros and cons of each method? Please discuss security implications, frequency of updates and program reliability of each method in your answer.