What is apt?
If you are a newbie, here's what apt is. apt or Advanced Package Tool is a free user interface or a Debian package management tool that works with core libraries to handle the installation and removal of software on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution and its variants. The actual command is 'apt-get'.
In simple words, if you need to install, remove and update packages apt is the tool for you. Here are 10 utilities that 'apt' can bring to your Linux machine:
1. Installing packages
Default use,
$ apt-get install package name
e.g. $ apt-get install gimp
To choose a particular version,
$ apt-get install package name=2.2
For source packages,
$ apt-get source package name
To compile the source packages after downloading them,
$ apt-get source -b package name
2. Re-installing packages
$ apt-get –reinstall install package name
3. Removing packages
$ apt-get remove package name (Note: this will not remove the configuration files)
for complete removal with configuration files
$ apt-get –purge remove package name
4. Upgrading packages
$ apt-get upgrade package name
Upgrade all the packages which needs an upgrade,
$ apt-get -u upgrade
To add a CD to the source list
$apt-get cdrom
To upgrade the whole distribution to a new version,
$ apt-get dist-upgrade
5. Searching for packages
$ apt-cache search package name
To list all the dependencies of a package and all the other packages that can fulfill that dependency,
$apt-cache depends package name
6. Checking installed versions or decide the source
$apt-cache policy
7. Show full description of a package
$apt-cache show package
8. Check for any broken dependencies
$ apt-get check
9. Clear the cached packages
$ apt-get clean (This command removes everything from the /var/cache/apt and /var/cache/apt/archives directory.)
10. Remove packages that can no longer be downloaded
$ apt-get autoclean
Bonus Function for fun!
“This apt has Super Cow Powers”
$ apt-get moo
Other options provided with apt-get
-f : fix broken dependencies
-m : continue if archives are unlocatable
-u : show a list of upgraded packages as well
-s : reports on the status of the package listed