apt-get

Install, upgrade, and manage packages.

TLDR

Refresh the package index from every configured source

$ sudo apt-get update

Install a package, answering yes to every prompt

$ sudo apt-get install -y [package]

Install one specific version instead of the newest

$ sudo apt-get install [package]=[version]

Reinstall a package that is already at the newest version

$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall [package]

Dry-run an operation and print what it would change

$ sudo apt-get -s dist-upgrade

Upgrade everything, letting APT add and remove packages as dependencies require

$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Uninstall packages while leaving their configuration in place

$ sudo apt-get remove [package1] [package2]

Uninstall a package with its configuration and any orphans it leaves behind

$ sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove [package]

Repair a broken or half-configured dependency state

$ sudo apt-get -f install

Reclaim disk space by emptying the downloaded .deb cache

$ sudo apt-get clean

SYNOPSIS

apt-get [options] command [package...]

apt-get is the command-line package management utility for Debian and Ubuntu. It handles installation, upgrade, and removal of software packages. For interactive use, apt is recommended as a more user-friendly alternative.

PARAMETERS

update

Resynchronize package index files from sources

upgrade

Install newest versions of all currently installed packages

dist-upgrade

Upgrade and handle changing dependencies

install package

Install or upgrade specified packages

remove package

Remove packages

purge package

Remove packages and configuration files

autoremove

Remove automatically installed packages no longer needed

autoclean

Clear local repository of retrieved package files that can no longer be downloaded

clean

Clear local repository of all retrieved package files

download package

Download the binary package into the current directory

source package

Fetch source packages

build-dep package

Install the build dependencies of a source package

satisfy string

Satisfy dependency strings (as used in Build-Depends); prefix an argument with 'Conflicts: ' to express a conflict

-y, --yes

Automatic yes to prompts; run non-interactively

-s, --simulate

No action; simulate the events that would occur without changing the system

-d, --download-only

Download packages but don't unpack or install

--no-install-recommends

Don't install recommended packages

--reinstall

Reinstall packages already at the newest version

--only-upgrade

Only upgrade already-installed packages; ignore requests to install new ones

-f, --fix-broken

Attempt to fix broken dependencies

CONFIGURATION

/etc/apt/sources.list

Package source repositories.

/etc/apt/apt.conf

Main APT configuration file.

/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/

Directory for drop-in configuration fragments.

INSTALL

sudo apt install apt

sudo dnf install apt

sudo pacman -S apt

sudo apk add apt

brew install apt

nix profile install nixpkgs#apt

CAVEATS

Run apt-get update before other commands to ensure the package list is current.

HISTORY

Part of the APT (Advanced Package Tool) suite developed for Debian in 1998 by the APT Development Team.

RESOURCES

Source code · Documentation