Question: I'm looking for sort of an 'app-store' or Google Play store type functionality for apt-get packages. What I'd really like to do is select a category, like 'Music' or 'Internet' and see the list of available packages in that category with their summaries.

It'd be even better if the packages had ratings or reviews. Does anything like this exist?

Answer: 
Such a thing already exists for Ubuntu:

> 
> <https://apps.ubuntu.com/>
> 
> 
> 

You can browse by category and search for packages using the web interface. Each application also displays its rating and any reviews it has received - just like the Software Center in Ubuntu.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BXTKa.png)
If it doesn't need to be web based, there are various programs that do this (arranged in order of purdiness):

1. The classic: `synaptic`, you just need to click on the "Sections" button on the bottom left to browse by section. Should work on all Debian based distros and as far as I know is installed by default on all of them as well. You can get Ubuntu debs (which should work for Mint as well) [here](http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=software+center&searchon=names&suite=raring&section=all). No ratings or reviews.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SC3Gy.png)
2. [Ubuntu software center](https://launchpad.net/software-center), installed by default on Ubuntu systems, but can also be installed on other Debian-based distros. Offers ratings and reviews where available.

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/o37jY.jpg)](http://www.pcc-services.com/gnu-linux/2010/images/ubuntu_software_center.jpg)
3. Mint software manager (`mintinstall`), installed by default on Mint systems (including Linux Mint Debian) but can also be installed on other Debian-based distros. 
![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2wLIX.png)

It offers ratings and reviews when available.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0YN4c.png)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bndW7.png)