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aptitude: Package manager for Debian-based distributions, an alternative to apt-get

Command: aptitude

A package management tool that provides a text-based user interface for managing packages on Debian-based systems. It offers a more user-friendly interface compared to apt-get and integrates advanced features for package management, including searching, installing, and removing packages.


Sample Command and Output:

$ aptitude

Description:

  • aptitude: Launches the text-based user interface for managing packages. It allows users to browse available packages, manage installed software, and perform various package operations.

Additional Commands and Sample Outputs:

  • aptitude update: Update the list of available packages and their versions. Sample Command and Output:
  $ sudo aptitude update
  Hit:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
  Hit:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease
  Hit:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease
  Reading package lists... Done

Description:

  • aptitude update: Updates the local package index with the latest package information from the repositories, similar to apt-get update.
  • aptitude install package_name: Install a specific package. Sample Command and Output:
  $ sudo aptitude install vim
  The following NEW packages will be installed:
    vim
  0 packages upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
  Need to get 1,230 kB of archives.
  After this operation, 1,230 kB of additional disk space will be used.

Description:

  • aptitude install <package_name>: Installs the specified package (vim in this example) along with its dependencies.
  • aptitude remove package_name: Remove a specific package but leave configuration files. Sample Command and Output:
  $ sudo aptitude remove vim
  The following packages will be REMOVED:
    vim
  0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Description:

  • aptitude remove <package_name>: Removes the specified package but retains its configuration files, similar to apt-get remove.
  • aptitude purge package_name: Remove a package along with its configuration files. Sample Command and Output:
  $ sudo aptitude purge vim
  The following packages will be REMOVED:
    vim
  0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Description:

  • aptitude purge <package_name>: Completely removes the specified package and its configuration files, similar to apt-get purge.
  • aptitude search keyword: Search for packages that match the specified keyword. Sample Command and Output:
  $ aptitude search editor
  p   vim                              - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor
  p   nano                             - small, friendly text editor inspired by Pico
  p   gedit                            - Simple text editor
  p   emacs                            - GNU Emacs editor

Description:

  • aptitude search <keyword>: Searches for packages that match the specified keyword (editor in this example) in their name or description.

Note: aptitude is an alternative to apt-get with additional features, including a text-based user interface and enhanced package management capabilities. It can be particularly useful for users who prefer a more interactive approach to managing packages.


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