Package Management

Ubuntu / Debian

Basic

Installing a package from REPOSITORIES, using aptitude:

# ----- Installing from the REPOSITORIES - APTITUDE
aptitude update                          # (OPTIONAL) update the local repository cache
aptitude install <package(s)>            # Install given package
aptitude remove <package(s)>             # Remove package (or install it if package name prefixed with - )

Note: Advantage of aptitude over apt-get is that it maintains /var/log/aptitude, and remove dependencies by default.

Installing a package from REPOSITORIES, using apt-get:

# ----- Installing from the REPOSITORIES - APT-GET
apt-get update                           # (OPTIONAL) update the local repository cache
apt-get install <package(s)>             # Install given package
apt-get install <package(s)>=<version>   # Use = to install a specific version (usually to force downgrade) !!! no space !!!
apt-get install <package(s)>/<release>   # Or use / to install from a specific distribution version !!! no space !!!
apt-get upgrade                          # Install new version of all installed package (without installing new package)
apt-get remove <package(s)>              # Remove package (or install it if package name prefixed with - )
apt-get autoremove <package(s)>          # Remove package and all its unused dependencies
apt-get purge <package(s)>               # Remove package and related configuration files
apt-get autoremove                       # Remove package installed to satisfy dependencies for some package and that are no more needed

Installing a package from a .deb PACKAGE file:

# ----- Installing from a .deb PACKAGE file
dpkg --install <debfile>                 # (or -i) Install a package from given .deb file

Querying the cache or installed packages:

# ----- Querying INSTALLED PACKAGE
dpkg --get-selections                    # Show the list of packages installed through apt-get
dpkg --get-selections | grep php         # ... filtering for some specific package keyword
dpkg -l <pattern>                        # (dpkg-query) List packages matching pattern, incl. version + description
dpkg -s <package>                        # (dpkg-query) Report status of specified package
dpkg -L <package>                        # List files delivered by a given <package>
dlocate -L <package>                     # ... same as above but much faster (require package dlocate)
dpkg -S <file>                           # List packages providing given file
dlocate -S <file>                        # ... same as above but much faster (require package dlocate)
dlocate <file>                           # ... same as dpkg -L -S combined but much faster (require package dlocate)
# ----- Querying the CACHE
apt-cache search <regex>                 # Search package cache (package name and description) for given <regex>
apt-cache search --name-only <regex>     # ... same but only search in package name
apt-cache showpkg <package(s)>           # Show version and dependencies information about given package(s)
apt-cache show <package(s)>              # Show information (description...) about given package(s)
apt-cache dotty <package(s)>|dot -Tpng|display
                                         # Generate & display dependency graph (require graphviz & imagemagick)
apt-rdepends -d <package(s)>|dot -Tpng|display
                                         # Idem (but usually much lighter)
apt-cache dotty -o APT::Cache::GivenOnly=true $(dpkg --get-selections linux*|awk '{print $1}')|dot -Tpng|display
                                         # Dependency graph restricted to package(s) given on command line
aptitude why|why-not <package>           # Explain why a package should or cannot be installed on the system
# ----- Querying a .deb PACKAGE file
dpkg --info <debfile>                    # (or -I) Show information of given .deb file
dpkg --content <debfile>                 # (or -c) Show content of given .deb file
# ----- Querying LIST of packages
deborphan -a | sort                      # List of all packages that have no dependencies
apt-show-versions                        # List all installed packages, and whether there are up-to-date, obsolete, not coming from repo
apt-show-versions -a                     # ... idem, but show all available versions
apt-show-versions | grep -v uptodate     # ... only show packages that are no up-to-date (No available version, upgradeable)
aptitude search '~o'                     # Similar to 'apt-show-versions' | grep 'No available version'

Querying packages that are not installed yet (may require package apt-file):

apt-file update                          # (optional - needed 1st time use)
apt-file list <package>                  # Search package in repositories, and show the content
apt-file search <file>                   # Display the name of all packages within repository that contain this file
apt-file search -l <file>                # ... only print package name
apt-file search -x "/<file>$"            # ... more accurate query using regex
#View package CHANGELOG
aptitude changelog <package>             # changelog of version that was/will be installed
aptitude changelog <package>=version     # ... specific version

Note: An alternative is to use the script [{{#file: dweblocate}} dweblocate], but apt-file is more powerful actually

#!/bin/bash

# Very handy script to query online debian/ubuntu package database.
# It more or less imitates the behaviour of dlocate, but is not limited to package installed on the current system.
#
# Usage:
#
#   dweblocate -L <package>   List all files in package <package>
#   dweblocate -S <filename>  List all packages that contains <filename>
#
# Based on script at http://mydebian.blogdns.org/?p=742
# Modified by Fuujuhi, 2009.

DIST=ubuntu                      # debian | ubuntu
SUITENAME=jaunty                 # Not necessary for debian

if [ "$DIST" = "ubuntu" ] ; then
        LISTURL="http://packages.ubuntu.com/$DISTNAME/all/$2/filelist"
        SEARCHURL="http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?suite=${SUITENAME}&searchon=contents&keywords=$2"
elif [ "$DIST" = "debian" ] ; then
        LISTURL="http://packages.ubuntu.com/$DISTNAME/all/$2/filelist"
        SEARCHURL="http://packages.debian.org/search?suite=stable&searchon=contents&keywords=$2"
else
        echo -e "Unknown distribution $DIST... Aborting!"
        exit 1
fi

if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
        echo -e "Usage:\t$0 -S file \n\t$0 -L package"
        exit 1
fi

if [ "$1" = "-L" ]; then
        wget -q "$LISTURL" -O- | sed -n '/<pre>/,/<\/pre>/ {s/^[^/]*//;/\/pre>/!p}'
elif [ "$1" = "-S" ]; then
        wget -q "$SEARCHURL" -O- | sed -n '/<table>/,/<\/table>/ { s/[[:space:]]*<a href="[^>]*>\([^<]*\)<\/a>/\1/p}'
else
        echo "Error: invalid argument \"$1\"";
    exit 2
fi

View package source repository:

apt-cache madison <package>         # Display available version of a package in each repository

View package installation history:

grep install /var/log/dpkg.log      # Also check dpkg.log.1, etc.
sudo cat /var/log/apt/terl.log      # Also check 
sudo cat /var/log/apt/history.log

Add a repository:

vi /etc/apt/sources.list            # or edit files in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
apt-get update

Add a package authentication key:

gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 247D1CFF  # (optional) Get the key from some keyserver
gpg --export --armor 247D1CFF | sudo apt-key add -    # Add the key

Miscellaneous:

dpkg-reconfigure popularity-contest                   # subscribe / unsubscribe to the package usage survey
apt-get moo                                           # Get super cow powers
aptitude moo                                          # Get super cow powers? try with -v, -vv

Advanced stuff

Reference:

• Debian commands on Yobi.be
• Mail from Phil (2011/03/01)

APT with several releases

Content of file /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/00default (or /etc/apt/apt.conf if that file doesn't exist):

APT::Default-Release "testing";

This changes the order of preference for packages. Here it says default=testing=wheezy, so:

$ apt-cache policy virtualbox-osevirtualbox-ose:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 4.0.2-dfsg-1
  Version table:
     4.0.4-dfsg-1+b1 0
        500 http://ftp.be.debian.org/debian/ sid/main amd64 Packages
     4.0.2-dfsg-1 0
        990 http://ftp.be.debian.org/debian/ wheezy/main amd64 Packages
     3.2.10-dfsg-1 0
        500 http://ftp.be.debian.org/debian/ squeeze/main amd64 Packages

The number (500 vs 990) is giving the priority.

APT Pinning

Reference:

• man apt_preferences
• http://www.debianiste.org/?post/2009/06/23/Apt-pinning-ou-comment-avoir-une-Debian-Stable-et-a-jour-%3A
• http://jaqque.sbih.org/kplug/apt-pinning.html
• http://www.argon.org/~roderick/apt-pinning.html

Rebuild / Recompile a package

References: [1], [2]

# Install required packages
sudo apt-get install build-essential fakeroot dpkg-dev

# Create build directory
mkdir build
cd build

# Get package source (e.g. udisks)
# - See further down to solve gpg signature verification warning
apt-get source udisks

# Install all packages needed to build 'udisks' (aka. build deps)
sudo apt-get build-dep udisks

# (optional) Unpack Debian / Ubuntu source package (.dsc) - this is done automatically by apt-get
# First get gpg key, and export it as trusted keys (see http://askubuntu.com/questions/56841/gpg-cant-check-signature)
gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 7ADF9466
gpg --no-default-keyring -a --export 136B762D | gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring ~/.gnupg/trustedkeys.gpg --import -
# Second unpack the source package
dpkg-source -x udisks_1.0.4-5ubuntu2.1.dsc

# Go into package dir
cd udisks-1.0.4/

# (optional) Edit the files
vi src/device.c
# (optional) Change compilation settings
DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS="--enable-gui --enable-radio" fakeroot debian/rules binary
CC=gcc-3.4 DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS="--enable-gui --enable-radio" fakeroot debian/rules binary
# (optional, strongly suggested) Change package version
debchange --local foo --preserve --distribution precise-proposed "Force mount flag 'dmode=0500' for UDF filesystem."

# Rebuild the package
dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -b

# Install the package
cd ..
dpkg -i udisks_1.0.4-5ubuntu2.1foo1_amd64.deb

Clone or repackage

dpkg-repack creates a .deb file out of a package that has already been installed. If any changes have been made to the package while it was unpacked (ie, files in /etc were modified), the new package will inherit the changes.

This utility can make it easy to copy packages from one computer to another, or to recreate packages that are installed on your system, but no longer available elsewhere, or to store the current state of a package before you upgrade it.

apt-get install dpkg-repack
dpkg-repack package

RPM's

• RPM RedHat Package Manager
• Using RPM: THe Basics (Part I)
• Install commands

rpm -ivh package                    # Installing a package - verbose and progress bars
rpm -iv -nodeps package             # Installing a package (verbose), ignore dependencies

• Query commands

rpm -ql package                     # List files provided by a package

• To query a package that has not been installed, add -p option to the command:

rpm -qpl package                    # List files provided by a package

Source package

Installing from source package is usually done with

./configure
make
sudo make install

Usually ./configure --help gives additional package configuration options (like installing documentation, etc).

! Power Tip ! A more powerful way to install from source is to use checkinstall. checkinstall will actually create a temporary package that can then later be uninstalled with Synaptic or via the terminal:

./configure
make
sudo checkinstall                  # Creates a package and install it as if 'sudo make install' was run

#... to uninstall:
sudo dpkg -r <packagename>

Note that checkinstall can actually run any arbitrary command and monitor change on the file system.

Managing alternatives

Display current set of alternatives (e.g. here for gcc on Cygwin):

$ /usr/sbin/update-alternatives --display gcc

# gcc - status is manual.
#  link currently points to /usr/bin/gcc-3.exe
# /usr/bin/gcc-3.exe - priority 30
#  slave lib-cpp: <NONE>
#  slave cc: /usr/bin/cc-3.exe
#  slave cpp: /usr/bin/cpp-3.exe
#  slave gcov: /usr/bin/gcov-3.exe
#  slave i686-pc-cygwin-gcc-4.3.4: <NONE>
#  slave i686-pc-cygwin-gcc: /usr/bin/i686-pc-cygwin-gcc-3.exe
#  slave protoize: /usr/bin/protoize-3.exe
#  slave unprotoize: /usr/bin/unprotoize-3.exe
#  slave cpp.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/cpp-3.1.gz
#  slave gcc.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/gcc-3.1.gz
#  slave gcov.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/gcov-3.1.gz
#  slave ffi.3.gz: <NONE>
#  slave ffi_call.3.gz: <NONE>
#  slave ffi_prep_cif.3.gz: <NONE>
# /usr/bin/gcc-4.exe - priority 40
#  slave lib-cpp: /usr/bin/cpp-4.exe
#  slave cc: /usr/bin/gcc-4.exe
#  slave cpp: /usr/bin/cpp-4.exe
#  slave gcov: /usr/bin/gcov-4.exe
#  slave i686-pc-cygwin-gcc-4.3.4: <NONE>
#  slave i686-pc-cygwin-gcc: /usr/bin/i686-pc-cygwin-gcc-4.exe
#  slave protoize: <NONE>
#  slave unprotoize: <NONE>
#  slave cpp.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/cpp-4.1.gz
#  slave gcc.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/gcc-4.1.gz
#  slave gcov.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/gcov-4.1.gz
#  slave ffi.3.gz: /usr/share/man/man3/ffi-4.3.gz
#  slave ffi_call.3.gz: /usr/share/man/man3/ffi_call-4.3.gz
#  slave ffi_prep_cif.3.gz: /usr/share/man/man3/ffi_prep_cif-4.3.gz
# Current `best' version is /usr/bin/gcc-4.exe.

Create a new entry with

/usr/sbin/update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc.exe gcc /usr/bin/gcc-3.exe  30 \
 --slave /usr/bin/cc.exe cc /usr/bin/cc-3.exe \
 --slave /usr/bin/cpp.exe cpp /usr/bin/cpp-3.exe \
 --slave /usr/bin/gcov.exe gcov /usr/bin/gcov-3.exe \
 --slave /usr/bin/i686-pc-cygwin-gcc.exe i686-pc-cygwin-gcc /usr/bin/i686-pc-cygwin-gcc-3.exe \
 --slave /usr/bin/protoize.exe protoize /usr/bin/protoize-3.exe \
 --slave /usr/bin/unprotoize.exe unprotoize /usr/bin/unprotoize-3.exe \
 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/cpp.1.gz cpp.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/cpp-3.1.gz \
 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/gcc.1.gz gcc.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/gcc-3.1.gz \
 --slave /usr/share/man/man1/gcov.1.gz gcov.1.gz /usr/share/man/man1/gcov-3.1.gz

Select an entry with

/usr/sbin/update-alternatives --auto gcc                        # Select alternative for gcc based on priority
/usr/sbin/update-alternatives --set gcc /usr/bin/gcc-3.exe      # Set gcc-3 as alternative for gcc (also set slaves, etc)
/usr/sbin/update-alternatives --config gcc                      # Select alternative via menu