Linux: Package Management In Linux
This post teaches you how to install, remove, Update, and search for software packages using the apt-get and apt-cache commands in Debian-based Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, Debian, and Mint.
In this post, we provide proper instructions to help you manage packages in Debian and Ubuntu systems.
What is apt-get?
Apt-get software is a compelling and free command-line program for package management. Moreover, people use this software to work with the APT Library in Ubuntu, which stands for Advanced Packaging Tool.
Runs new software packages, deletes existing software packages, updates existing software packages, or even upgrades the entire operating System.
Users use the apt-cache Command to search the cache of the apt software package. Users use this tool to search for software packages, collect package information, and find existing packages ready to install for the Ubuntu or Debian operating System
$ apt-cache pkgnames esseract-ocr-epo pipenightdreams mumudvb tbb-examples libsvm-java libmrpt-hmtslam0.9 libboost-timer1.50-dev kcm-touchpad g++-4.5-multilib
5 Useful basic commands from apt-cache
How to list all available packages in Linux
How to find the package name and software description
To find the package name along with the description before installing it, we must use the search option. Using apt-cache, a search will display a list of matching packages along with a brief description. For example, to find the description of the vsftpd package, run the following Command:
PHP code:
$ apt-cache search vsftpd vsftpd - a lightweight, efficient FTP server written for Security ccze - A robust, modular log coloriser ftpd - File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server Yasat - simple, stupid audit tool
Moreover, run the following Command to find and list all packages starting with vsftpd:
PHP code:
$ apt-cache pkgnames vsftpd vsttpd
How to check the package information
In the beginning, if we want to check the package information along with short descriptions (version number, summary, size, installation size, group, etc.), we must execute the following Command:
PHP code:
$ apt-cache show netcat Package: netcat Priority: optional Section: universe/net Installed-Size: 30 Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com> Original-Maintainer: Ruben Molina <rmolina@udea.edu.co> Architecture: all Version: 1.10-40 Depends: netcat-traditional (>= 1.10-39) Filename: pool/universe/n/netcat/netcat_1.10-40_all.deb Size: 3340 MD5sum: 37c303f02b260481fa4fc9fb8b2c1004 SHA1: 0371a3950d6967480985aa014fbb6fb898bcea3a SHA256: eeecb4c93f03f455d2c3f57b0a1e83b54dbeced0918ae563784e86a37bcc16c9 Description-en: TCP/IP Swiss Army Knife -- transitional package This is a "dummy" package that depends on Lenny's default version of netcat, to ease upgrades. It may be safely removed. Description-md5: 1353f8c1d079348417c2180319bdde09 Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug Origin: Ubuntu
How to check the dependencies of a particular package
The showpkg option for the apt-cache Command checks the prerequisite packages for the desired software. Also, whether these prerequisite packages are installed on the System or not. To do this, run the following Command:
PHP code:
$ apt-cache showpkg vsftpd Package: vsftpd Versions: 2.3.5-3ubuntu1 (/var/lib/apt/lists/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_quantal_main_binary-i386_Packages) Description Language: File: /var/lib/apt/lists/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_quantal_main_binary-i386_Packages MD5: 81386f72ac91a5ea48f8db0b023f3f9b Description Language: en File: /var/lib/apt/lists/in.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_quantal_main_i18n_Translation-en MD5: 81386f72ac91a5ea48f8db0b023f3f9b Reverse Depends: ubumirror,vsftpd harden-servers,vsftpd Dependencies: 2.3.5-3ubuntu1 - debconf (18 0.5) debconf-2.0 (0 (null)) upstart-job (0 (null)) libc6 (2 2.15) libcap2 (2 2.10) libpam0g (2 0.99.7.1) libssl1.0.0 (2 1.0.0) libwrap0 (2 7.6-4~) adduser (0 (null)) libpam-modules (0 (null)) netbase (0 (null)) logrotate (0 (null)) ftp-server (0 (null)) ftp-server (0 (null)) Provides: 2.3.5-3ubuntu1 - ftp-server Reverse Provides:
How to check the cache
First, the stats option will display all cache statistics. For example, the following Command will display the total number of package names in the cache:
PHP code:
$ apt-cache stats Total package names: 51868 (1,037 k) Total package structures: 51868 (2,490 k) Normal packages: 39505 Pure virtual packages: 602 Single virtual packages: 3819 Mixed virtual packages: 1052 Missing: 6890 Total distinct versions: 43015 (2,753 k) Total distinct descriptions: 81048 (1,945 k) Total dependencies: 252299 (7,064 k) Total ver/file relations: 45567 (729 k) Total Desc/File relations: 81048 (1,297 k) Total Provides mappings: 8228 (165 k) Total globbed strings: 286 (3,518 ) Total dependency version space: 1,145 k Total slack space: 62.6 k Total space accounted for: 13.3 M
