Linux

Updated: 16 February 2025

APT

Advanced Packaging Tool.

From man apt-get

update is used to resynchronize the package index files from their sources. The indexes of available packages are fetched from the location(s) specified in /etc/apt/sources.list. For example, when using a Debian archive, this command retrieves and scans the Packages.gz files, so that information about new and updated packages is available. An update should always be performed before an upgrade or dist-upgrade. Please be aware that the overall progress meter will be incorrect as the size of the package files cannot be known in advance.

sudo apt-get update

From man apt-get

upgrade is used to install the newest versions of all packages currently installed on the system from the sources enumerated in /etc/apt/sources.list. Packages currently installed with new versions available are retrieved and upgraded; under no circumstances are currently installed packages removed, or packages not already installed retrieved and installed. New versions of currently installed packages that cannot be upgraded without changing the install status of another package will be left at their current version. An update must be performed first so that apt-get knows that new versions of packages are available.

sudo apt-get upgrade

Install a single package:

sudo apt install unattended-upgrades

List installed packages

apt list --installed

Upgrade a single package

apt-get install --only-upgrade <packagename>

Remove a package

sudo apt --purge remove package-name
sudo apt --purge autoremove

Distribution

Print distribution specific information

lsb_release -d

dpkg

Package manager for Debian

Get architecture of machine this command is run on i.e. architecture of packages dpkg installs

dpkg --print-architecture