How to install FileZilla FTP client on Ubuntu

Ubuntu Linux provides two methods for software management. These methods are the command line and Software or App center. This tutorial explains the required steps to add and remove the FileZilla client using both options.

Installing FileZilla client from the command line

The following commands install the FileZilla client.

$sudo apt-get update
$sudo apt-get install filezilla

The first command synchronizes the configured repositories. It is an optional command. We use it before installing the software to ensure that Ubuntu downloads the latest version of the software. Software management is a privileged task. It needs confirmation from the user. To confirm it, type your login password when it prompts.

The second command finds a package that provides the FileZilla client program in all configured repositories. If it finds a package that contains the FileZilla client, it prints the name of that package. It also prints the required disk size to install it. Before installing the program, the command takes permission from the user. Type Y and press the Enter key when it prompts to authorize the installation. The following image shows how to use the above commands on the command line.

Verifying the installation

To verify the installation of the FileZilla client, you can use the following command.

sudo apt list –installed | grep filezilla

The following image shows the output of the above command.

Viewing the version

The following command prints the version of the installed FileZilla client.

$filezilla --version

Starting FileZilla client from the command line

The following command starts the FileZilla client from the command line.

$filezilla

The above command starts the program. The following image shows the output of the above command.

Updating FileZilla on Ubuntu

The following commands update FileZilla to the latest version.

$sudo apt-get update
$sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade filezilla

• The first command updates repository cache data.
• The second command updates Filezilla.

Uninstalling / Removing FileZilla client

The following command uninstalls or removes the FileZilla client.

$sudo apt remove filezilla

Additional commands

By default, the apt-get command takes permission from the user before performing each action. If you want to allow all actions, you can use the -y switch with the apt-get command. If you use the -y switch with the apt-get command, the command uses interactive mode to perform the installation. In this mode, the command automatically allows all actions.

The following command performs the default installation.

$sudo apt-get install filezilla

The following command performs the interactive installation.

$sudo apt-get -y install filezilla

The apt remove command does not delete the program's configuration file. If you install the program again, the program does not create a new configuration file. It uses the existing configuration file. This mechanism allows you to reinstall a program without losing settings or customization. But if you want to delete the program entirely, use the purge option. The purge option removes all traces of the program.

The following command deletes the FileZilla client but keeps its configuration file.

$sudo apt remove filezilla

The following command deletes the FileZilla client and removes its configuration file.

$sudo apt purge filezilla

Installing FileZilla client from App Center

App Center is the default GUI software management tool on Ubuntu. To install the FileZilla client from the App Center, start the App Center and search for the FileZilla client.

Select FileZilla from the search results and click the Install button. To authenticate the installation, type your login password and click the Authenticate button. After authentication, the App Center downloads and installs the Filezilla client program.

Installing FileZilla client from Software Center

Before the App Center, the Software Center was the default GUI software management tool. The Software Center is a bit bulky but provides many additional features. The main advantage of it over App Center is it allows you to install deb packages from the local system.

To support the App Center, Ubuntu does not install the Software Center by default. However, it is available in the Ubuntu Software Repository. You can download and install it just like any other package. The following command installs it.

$sudo apt-get install gnome-software

After installing the Software Center, you can use it to install and remove packages on GUI.

To install the FileZilla client from the Software Center, start the Software Center and search for the FileZilla client.

Select FileZilla from the search results and click the Install button. To authenticate the installation, type your login password and click the Authenticate button.

After the successful authentication, the Software Center downloads and installs the FileZilla client.

Starting the FileZilla client in GUI

Click the Show Application button and click the FileZilla client icon. If the FileZilla client icon is not in the list, you can use the search option to find it.

Removing FileZilla client from GUI

To remove the FileZilla client from GUI, open the Software Center, search for the FileZilla client, and click the Remove button. Authenticate the remove operation. To authenticate the remove operation, type your login password and click the Authenticate button.

After successful authentication, the Software Center removes the FileZilla client.

Conclusion

You have two options to install and remove the FileZilla client program on Ubuntu. These options are the apt-get command and Software or or App Center. In this tutorial, I explained both methods through examples.