Apt is the preferred package manager for Ubuntu. The main commands should bevery similar to Apt-Get.

This table explains some common commands between Apt and Apt-Get. It is comprehensive yet incomplete.

 

 

Apt

Apt-Get Equivalent

Description

apt update apt-get update Update source lists and package cache
     
  apt-get -y –force-yes COMMAND Force yes
  sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get -y COMMAND Force yes
     
apt upgrade apt-get upgrade Upgrade packages
     
apt full-upgrade apt-get dist-upgrade Upgrade system OS
apt install package XXX apt-get install package XXX Install package
apt remove package XXX apt-get remove package XXX Remove package (leaves configuration files)
apt purge package XXX apt-get purge package XXX Remove package and configuration files
apt autoremove XXX apt-get autoremove XXX Remove package and unnecessary dependencies
apt autoremove –purge apt-get autoremove –purge Remove packages, configurations, and unnecessary dependencies
apt –reinstall install XXX apt-get install –reinstall         XXX Reinstall packages
  apt-get check Check for broken dependencies
  apt-get -f install Fix broken dependencies
apt clean apt-get clean Remove all packages from package cache
apt autoclean apt-get autoclean Remove packages for uninstalled programs from package cache
     
apt search XXX apt-cache search XXX Search package cache for XXX
apt show XXX apt-cache show XXX  
apt list –installed dpkg –get-selections | grep -v deinstall List installed packages
apt list –installed dpkg -l List installed packages
apt edit-sources echo ‘new line of text’ | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list Add a new package source
apt edit-sources sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list Add a new package source
     
apt depends XXX apt-cache XXX Find package dependencies (packages that XXX needs)
apt rdepends XXX apt-rdepends XXX Find reverse dependencies (packages that need XXX)
apt policy XXX  apt-cache policy XXX Set package update policy
apt held  dpkg –get-selections | grep hold List packages with prevented ugprades
apt hold XXX echo XXX hold | sudo dpkg –set-selections Prevent upgrade of package
apt unhold XXX echo XXX install | sudo dpkg –set-selections Remove hold on package upgrade
     
apt list –upgradable (sudo not required) apt-get -u upgrade –assume-no (sudo required) List upgradeable packages
     
  aptitude show XXX  Get package description
  apt-cache show XXX  
  dpkg -p XXX  Get package description
  aptitude why XXX Detail packages dependent on XXX
  dpkg -S <XXX>

 

Searches for package dependent containing XXX filename

 

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