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 $1}')|dot -Tpng|display
# Dependency graph restricted to package(s) given on command line
aptitude why|why-not <package> # Explain why a package should or cannot be installed on the system
# ----- Querying a .deb PACKAGE file
dpkg --info <debfile> # (or -I) Show information of given .deb file
dpkg --content <debfile> # (or -c) Show content of given .deb file
Querying packages that are not installed yet (may require package apt-file):
apt-file update # (optional - needed 1st time use)
apt-file list <package> # Search package in repositories, and show the content
apt-file search <file> # Display the name of all packages within repository that contain this file
apt-file search -l <file> # ... only print package name
apt-file search -x "/<file>$" # ... 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
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
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
! 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