Hey everyone! I’ve either created something absolutely brilliant or completely niche, but I needed to scratch my own itch.
I got incredibly tired of GDebi constantly freezing or crashing on modern desktop layouts, and the default Software Center feels way too bloated and slow just to open a quick, local .deb file.
Since I couldn’t find a lightweight, visual tool that just handled local installs reliably, I built deb-progress-installer.
What it does
It’s a lightweight frontend script that uses Zenity to capture dpkg output in real-time. It gives you a smooth, graphical progress bar for local installations without any of the resource bloat.
How to get it
Zorin OS 18 / Ubuntu / Debian users: You can grab the raw .deb package directly from the GitHub Releases page and install it graphically or via a quick terminal one-liner.
Check out the repository, grab the installer, and let me know what you think!
Added Pre-Installation Dependency Checks
No More Surprises: The installer now scans .deb files before launching the installation process to see if any extra system components (dependencies) are required from the internet.
User Confirmation: If additional packages are needed, the tool pauses and displays a neat, bulleted list of everything it needs to download, asking for your explicit permission before making any changes.
Dual-Stage Progress Tracking (Live Download Status)
Real-Time Internet Tracking: Previously, the progress bar could appear frozen or “stuck” at 0% while the system was quietly downloading files from the internet.
Smooth Transitions: The installer now catches live network activity. When it fetches files, the window explicitly updates to show exactly what it is downloading (e.g., Downloading required system component: [package-name]…), keeping the interface active and responsive.
Smart Error Handling & Cancellation Detection
Accurate Status Reporting: Fixed an issue where cancelling the administrator password prompt would still incorrectly trigger a “Success” message. The tool now instantly catches cancellations and handles them safely.
Friendly System Reports: If an installation fails due to a system issue, the installer safely intercepts the technical Linux error code behind the scenes and translates it into a plain, non-technical explanation (such as notifying you if your internet is down or if another system update is currently running in the background).
Cool! Visuals do go a long way. I would love to see even just one screenshot on the Github page. In any case thanks for adding these here as it gives anyone interested a sneak peek.
Thanks for the feedback! You are completely right—visuals go a long way and give people a much better sneak peek before they try it out.
I loved the idea, so I’ve just updated the main GitHub page with a brand new, combined preview image that shows the entire installation flow (including how it handles dependencies and success states).
Check out the front page now and let me know what you think! Thanks again for the push to get that added
I built a lightweight, visual wrapper for local .deb installs!
What it does
How to get it
Would love to see a little screenshot in action on that GitHub page if appropriate.
Added Pre-Installation Dependency Checks
Dual-Stage Progress Tracking (Live Download Status)
Smart Error Handling & Cancellation Detection