Package Managers in Debian

Posted by tollyrocks on Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Debian based systems (including Ubuntu) uses apt-* commands for managing packages from the command line.
In this article, using Apache 2 installation as an example, let us review how to use apt-* commands to view, install, remove, or upgrade packages.
1. apt-cache search: Search Repository Using Package Name If you are installing Apache 2, you may guess that the package name is apache.2.  To verify whether it is a valid package name, you may want to search the repository for that particular package name as shown below.
The following example shows how to search the repository for a specific package name.
$ apt-cache search ^apache2$





apache2 - Apache HTTP Server metapackage

2. apt-cache search: Search Repository Using Package Description

If you don’t know the exact name of the package, you can still search using the package description as shown below.
$ apt-cache search "Apache HTTP Server"





apache2 - Apache HTTP Server metapackage





apache2-doc - Apache HTTP Server documentation


apache2-mpm-event - Apache HTTP Server - event driven model


apache2-mpm-prefork - Apache HTTP Server - traditional non-threaded model


apache2-mpm-worker - Apache HTTP Server - high speed threaded model


apache2.2-common - Apache HTTP Server common files

3. apt-file search: Search Repository Using a Filename from the Package

Sometimes you may know the configuration file name (or) the executable name from the package that you would like to install.
The following example shows that apache2.conf file is part of the apache2.2-common package. Search the repository with a configuration file name using apt-file command as shown below.
$ apt-file search apache2.conf





apache2.2-common: /etc/apache2/apache2.conf





apache2.2-common: /usr/share/doc/apache2.2-common/examples/apache2/apache2.conf.gz

4. apt-cache show: Basic Information About a Package

Following example displays basic information about apache2 package.
$ apt-cache show apache2





Package: apache2





Priority: optional


Maintainer: Ubuntu Core Developers


Original-Maintainer: Debian Apache Maintainers


Version: 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3


(>= 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3)


 | apache2-mpm-prefork (&g


Depends: apache2-mpm-worke


rt;= 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3)


 | apache2-mpm-event (>= 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3)


6350


Description: Apache HTTP Server metapackage


The Apache So


Filename: pool/main/a/apache2/apache2_2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3_all.deb


Size: 


4ftware Foundation's goal is to build a secure, efficient and


extensible HTTP server as standards-compliant open source software.


Homepage: http://httpd.apache.org/

5. apt-cache showpkg: Detailed Information About a Package

“apt-cache show” displays basic information about a package. Use “apt-cache showpkg” to display detailed information about a package as shown below.
$ apt-cache showpkg apache2





Package: apache2





Versions:


untu2.3 (/var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates_main_binary-i386_Packages) (/var/lib/apt/lists/security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security_main_binary-i386_Packages)


Descript


2.2.11-2u


bion Language:


File: /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates_main_binary-i386_Packages


MD5: d24f049cd70ccfc178dd8974e4b1ed01


Reverse Depends:





  squirrelmail,apache2





squid3-cgi,apache2


mahara-apache2,apa


phpmyadmin,apache2


che2



ipplan,apache2



Dependencies:





  2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3 - apache2-mpm-worker (18 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3) apache2-mpm-prefork (18 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3) apache2-mpm-event (2 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3)


  2.2.11-2ubuntu2 - apache2-mpm-worker (18 2.2.11-2ubuntu2) apache2-mpm-prefork (18 2.2.11-2ubuntu2) apache2-mpm-event (2 2.2.11-2ubuntu2)



Provides:





  2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3 -


  2.2.11-2ubuntu2 -



Reverse Provides:





  apache2-mpm-itk 2.2.6-02-1build4.3





apache2-mpm-worker 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3


apache2-mpm-prefork 2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3


apache2-mpm-prefork 2.2.11-2ubuntu2



apache2-mpm-event 2.2.11-2ubuntu2


6. apt-file list: List all the Files Located Inside a Package

Use “apt-file list” to display all the files located inside the apache2 package as shown below.
$ apt-file list apache2 | more





apache2: /usr/share/bug/apache2/control





apache2: /usr/share/bug/apache2/script


bian.gz


apache2: /usr/share/doc/apache2/README


apache2: /usr/share/doc/apache2/NEWS.D


e.Debian.gz


apache2: /usr/share/doc/apache2/changelog.Debian.gz


...

7. apt-cache depends: List all Dependent Packages

Before installation, if you like to view all the dependent packages, use “apt-cache depends” as shown below.
$ apt-cache depends apache2





apache2





|Depends: apache2-mpm-worker


|Depends: apache2-mpm-prefork


Depends: apache2-mpm-event

8. dpkg -l: Is the Package Already Installed?

Before installing a package, you may want to make sure it is not already installed as shown below using dpkg -l command.
$ dpkg -l | grep -i apache

9. apt-get install: Install a Package

Finally, install the package using “apt-get install” as shown below.
$ sudo apt-get install apache2





[sudo] password for ramesh: 





he following NEW packages will be installed:



T  apache2 apache2-mpm-worker apache2-utils apache2.2-common libapr1


libaprutil1 libpq5


stalled, 0 to remove and 26 not upgraded.


0 upgraded, 7 newly i


n

10. dpkg -l : Verify Whether the Package got Successfully Installed

After installing the package, use “dpkg -l” to make sure it got installed successfully.
$ dpkg -l | grep apache





ii  apache2             2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3  Apache HTTP Server metapackage





ii  apache2-mpm-worker  2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3  Apache HTTP Server - high speed threaded mod


ii  apache2-utils       2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3  utility programs for webservers


ii  apache2.2-common    2.2.11-2ubuntu2.3  Apache HTTP Server common files

11. apt-get remove: Delete a Package

Use “apt-get purge” or “apt-get remove” to delete a package as shown below.
$ sudo apt-get purge apache2












(or)


 sudo apt-get remove apache2


$





The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:



apache2-utils linux-headers-2.6.28-11 libapr1 apache2.2-common util1


Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.


The following packages 


linux-headers-2.6.28-11-generic apache2-mpm-worker libpq5 libap


rwill be REMOVED:


apache2


, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 26 not upgraded.



0 upgrade


d


Removing apache2 ...
  • apt-get remove will not delete the configuration files of the package
  • apt-get purge will delete the configuration files of the package

12. apt-get -u install: Upgrade a Specific Package

The following example shows how to upgrade one specific package.
$ sudo apt-get -u install apache2





Reading package lists... Done





Building dependency tree


... Done


apache2 is already the n


Reading state informatio


newest version.


ckages were automatically installed and are no longer required:


  linux-headers


The following p


a-2.6.28-11 linux-headers-2.6.28-11-generic


Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.






0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 26 not upgraded.

13. apt-get -u upgrade: Upgrade all Packages

To upgrade all the packages to it’s latest version, use “apt-get -u upgrade” as shown below.
$ sudo apt-get -u upgrade








The following packages will be upgraded:
  libglib2.0-0 libglib2.0-data libicu38 libsmbclient libwbclient0
  openoffice.org-base-core openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common
  openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-emailmerge
  openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk openoffice.org-impress
  openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer
  python-uno samba-common smbclient ttf-opensymbol tzdata
26 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

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