Continuing our Mageia 8 install guide and review, now this is a simple guide for beginners to begin computing with Mageia. For this first time, as we did with Ubuntu too, we learn how to search, install, and update software applications on it. The work arounds are centered on the built-in program called Mageia Control Center (MCC) which is like Synaptic and YaST programs for either Ubuntu & openSUSE user.

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1. Start Mageia Control Center

Run MCC from the start menu. 

2. Start Package Management

Click the Install Software option on the top and a new window appears. It is your place to add, remove, and update applications on Mageia. To Ubuntu user, this is similar to Ubuntu Software today and historically like Synaptic Package Manager in the past.

3. Setup Software Download Sources

To begin with Mageia, firstly, we should setup the repositories (Mageia calls them medias).

1. First, click menubar Options > Media Manager.
2. Second, a new dialog will appear > click its menubar File > Add a specific media mirror.
3. Third, a new dialog also appears > it says "I need to contact the Mageia website..." > click YES. 
4. Fourth, a list of repositories from various countries will appear > select a country e.g. United States (US) > select an address under that country e.g. Kernel.org > OK.
5. Fifth, wait for the setup of repositories taking place. This took some <=5 minutes in my broadband internet access.
6. Mageia is ready to add and update applications.

4. Search for Application

Once the repository setup above finished, MCC will be able to help you add and update applications.

5. Install an Application

To add an application or more on Mageia:

• Run MCC.
• Open the Install Software section.
• Type a name of application you want in the search box. 
• Press Enter.
• Search result appears. If the application exists or your keyword is correct, it will show a package or more packages of the software you want you can then install.
  
• Click the check mark box beside the package name.
• Click Apply and wait until it finished.
• Check it out on your start menu and run the program.
  

Example

As an example, here is how to install several applications to edit video, named Kdenlive, on Mageia 8, followed by installing illustration and layout design programs, named Inkscape and Scribus, respectively. These are programs we Ubuntu users usually install on our computers so I hope this helps you try Mageia.

• Open MCC.
• Go to Install Software.
• Type kdenlive.
• Press Enter.
• Search result appears with one name presented: kdenlive.
• Click the small white box beside kdenlive to give check mark to kdenlive.
• Search for inkscape and do the same.
• Search for scribus and do the same.
  
• Before installing, check the detailed information below it and the size/capacity. As example, for Kdenlive, it is said to be "A non linear video editing application..." by version 20.12 and by size 95MB to be downloaded.
  
• Click Apply at the bottom.
• Mageia downloads the packages of Kdenlive, Inkscape, and Scribus applications for a while. The progress depends on your internet download speed.
• Once finished, kdenlive inkscape scribus packages will be marked green as installed.
  
• Open start menu and find programs you just installed.
• Run the programs. 

Below is the result when I run Inkscape, Kdenlive, and Scribus at the same time on my Mageia computer. They look cool, right?