I'm using Ubuntu 16.04.
My Ubuntu Software doesn't show installed programs or available programs any more. the All tab doesn't show available programs since my last update.
My Software Updater shows 90Mb of updates to be downloaded but the technical description and the details of the updates are invisible
I have tried running
sudo apt-get install --reinstall software-center
and
sudo apt-get remove --purge software-center
sudo apt-get install software-center
but there is no change.
When opening Ubuntu Software Center (not Ubuntu Software), it shows Software Center was not removed.
From the terminal while removing software center:
dpkg: warning: while removing software-center,
directory '/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/backend/piston'
not empty so not removed
dpkg: warning: while removing software-center,
directory '/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/distro'
not empty so not removed
dpkg: warning: while removing software-center,
directory '/usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db'
not empty so not removed
Right after removing Software Center with the terminal, the program is still available (Ubuntu Software) and keeps doing the same but now the icon of the Ubuntu Software Center is missing.
Best Answer
Since this is a known bug which Canonical must fix, may I offer an alternative until then? https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/addremove-install-synaptic.html.en describes the Synaptic Package Manager which is described in the link above as more powerful and can do some software management tasks which Ubuntu Software can't.