This article will show you how to uninstall a program on a computer running Ubuntu Linux, as well as how to uninstall the Ubuntu system itself. If your computer has two operating systems, you can erase the Linux Ubuntu partition.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: How to uninstall a program using the terminal
Step 1. Open Terminal
The icon for this program can be found on the left side of the screen; if the icon is not there, click the Ubuntu logo in the upper left corner of the screen, type terminal in the search bar, and then click Terminal.
Step 2. Open the list of installed programs
In Terminal, type dpkg --list and then press ↵ Enter.
Step 3. Find the program you want to uninstall
You need to find out the name of the executable file of the program, not the name of the program itself (for example, "avg.exe", not "AVG Antivirus").
Step 4. Enter the "apt-get" command
In Terminal, enter sudo apt-get -purge remove program, where replace the word "program" with the name of the program; then press ↵ Enter.
Step 5. Enter the superuser password and then press ↵ Enter
Step 6. Confirm your decision
Type y and press ↵ Enter. The process of uninstalling the program will start. When it finishes, close the Terminal.
- This process will take some time depending on the size of the program.
- If the program is not removed with the apt-get command, use the sudo aptitude remove program command.
Method 2 of 3: How to uninstall a program using the Ubuntu Application Center
Step 1. Open the Ubuntu Application Center
Its badge looks like an orange suitcase with a white A. This software manager comes preinstalled with Ubuntu Linux and makes it easy to uninstall programs.
If you cannot find the Ubuntu Application Center icon, click the Ubuntu logo in the upper left corner of the screen, type application center in the search bar, and then click the Ubuntu Application Center icon
Step 2. Go to the Installed tab
This tab, which looks like a computer, is at the top of the Ubuntu Application Center window.
Step 3. Find the program you want to uninstall
Scroll through the list of installed programs and click on the unnecessary program, or enter the name of the program to be removed in the search bar in the upper right corner of the window.
Step 4. Click Remove
This button is located to the right of the program you want to uninstall.
Step 5. Confirm your decision if prompted
In the window that appears with the request, click "Delete" or "OK".
The request text depends on the Ubuntu version
Step 6. Close the Ubuntu Application Center
The program has been removed.
Method 3 of 3: How to Uninstall Ubuntu Linux System
Step 1. Make sure you have a Windows installation disc or flash drive
If your computer only has Ubuntu installed, you will need to format your hard drive and install a different operating system to uninstall it.
- Typically, on Mac computers, Ubuntu is installed as a second operating system.
- To create a Windows installation disc on a computer running Ubuntu, insert the disc into the optical drive, download the system image (ISO file) from this site, right-click on the ISO file, select Burn to Disc from the menu, select the disc and click Burn Disk Image.
Step 2. Insert the disc into the optical drive
Do this with the front of the disc facing up.
Skip this step if you have already created a Windows installation disc
Step 3. Restart your computer
Click "Settings"
in the upper right corner of the screen, select Shut Down at the bottom of the drop-down menu, and then click the Restart icon in the pop-up menu.
Step 4. Boot your computer from the installation disc
To do this, on most computers, you need to press any key on the keyboard.
If your computer is not configured to boot from CD, click Boot Options during the reboot or select the Windows DVD option from the GRUB menu
Step 5. Select your time zone and language, and then click Next
Do this from the menu in the middle of the screen.
Step 6. Click Install Now
This button is in the middle of the screen.
Step 7. Enter your Windows 10 product key, and then click Next
Enter your product key in the text box at the bottom of the window.
Alternatively, you can click on the “I do not have a product key” link to enter the key later. In this case, you need to specify the Windows version
Step 8. Check the box next to "I Agree" and then click Next
This will take you to agree to the terms of use for the Microsoft software and proceed to the next page.
Step 9. Click on the Custom option
It's in the middle of the page.
Step 10. Select your Ubuntu disk
Click on the partition (local drive) where the Ubuntu Linux system is installed.
Step 11. Remove the Ubuntu partition
Click Remove and then click OK when prompted. The Ubuntu system is removed and the local drive is formatted with the NTFS file system used by Windows.
You may need to click on "Disk Options" below the window first
Step 12. Click Next
This means that you want to install Windows on the selected drive.
Step 13. Follow the instructions on the screen
Once Windows is installed, you can customize its settings (for example, language, date, time, and so on). The Ubuntu system is now removed from the computer.