as question says, I'm using gnome-software 3.20.5 (xenial) for ubuntu 16.04 and want to upgrade software center to 3.28.1. how do this?
2 Answers
Ubuntu uses a snapshot method of placing software in repositories. A snapshot of software is added during pre-release. After release, the software receives bugfix and security updates...
...but not major release updates. Ubuntu 16.04 shipped with gnome-software
3.20, and will use that version for it's entire lifetime. This method keeps the number of bugs minimized and the support requirements small enough for volunteers.
The easy and supported method of upgrading software is by upgrading your entire system. For example, Ubuntu 18.04 has gnome-software
3.28 -- and will have that version for the next five years. If you upgrade to 18.04, you will upgrade all your software including gnome-software
.
Alternately, you can search for a PPA or other non-Ubuntu repository that provides a 16.04-compatible package. Or you can compile 3.28 from source and install it manually. Both of those methods require a bit of skill.
Another solution, currently making slow progress to become supported, is for gnome-software
to be a snap instead of a deb. Snaps are not subject to the deb snapsot method, and update independently of the Operating System.
If what you you need is a more reliable software installer I suggest using Synaptic Package Manager.
sudo apt install synaptic
gnome-software
3.20.5 (xenial).