aptdcon

aptdcon command [arguments]

status
    Queries the current operational status of the APT daemon.

get_pkgs [package...]
    Retrieves detailed information about specified packages or lists all available packages if none are specified.

install_pkgs package...
    Initiates a request for the APT daemon to install one or more specified packages.

remove_pkgs package...
    Initiates a request for the APT daemon to remove one or more specified packages.

update_cache
    Requests the APT daemon to update the package list from configured repositories, similar to 'apt update'.

upgrade_pkgs
    Requests the APT daemon to upgrade all installed packages to their newest versions, similar to 'apt upgrade'.

fix_broken
    Asks the APT daemon to attempt to resolve and fix broken package dependencies.

commit transaction_id
    Commits a previously prepared transaction by its ID.

aptdcon is a specialized command-line utility that serves as a console client for the APT daemon (aptd). The aptd daemon is a core component of the aptdaemon project, designed to provide a secure and consistent D-Bus interface for package management operations on Debian-based systems like Ubuntu.

Unlike standard user-facing tools such as apt or apt-get, aptdcon is primarily intended for developers, testers, and advanced users who need to directly interact with and debug the aptd service. It allows for sending various commands to the daemon, mirroring many of the D-Bus methods exposed by aptd, such as installing, removing, upgrading packages, or querying the daemon's status and transaction history. This direct interaction is crucial for understanding the daemon's behavior, testing new features, and diagnosing issues within the aptdaemon framework or graphical frontends that rely on it.

While it can perform package management tasks, it lacks the user-friendly interface and robust error handling of typical command-line tools. Its main value lies in its ability to expose the underlying aptd operations, making it an invaluable tool in the aptdaemon development and testing ecosystem. It requires the aptd service to be running to function correctly.

aptdcon is not intended for general end-user package management. It is a low-level client for testing the APT daemon (aptd) and may not provide the same user-friendly feedback or error handling as standard tools like apt or apt-get. Direct interaction with aptdcon often requires specific knowledge of the aptdaemon D-Bus interface.

Operations initiated via aptdcon may require PolicyKit authorization, meaning a password prompt could appear if the current user does not have sufficient privileges.

The command set and behavior of aptdcon can be subject to change as it is primarily a development and testing tool.

For aptdcon to function, the APT daemon (aptd) service must be running. If it's not active, commands will fail to connect.

The commands accepted by aptdcon directly map to the D-Bus methods provided by the aptd service. This makes it a useful tool for understanding and testing the aptdaemon D-Bus API.

The aptdcon command is an integral part of the aptdaemon project, which began development to address the need for a secure, policy-kit enabled, and graphical-friendly interface to APT. Before aptdaemon, graphical package managers often had to run with root privileges or use cumbersome sudo calls. aptdaemon provided a D-Bus service that allowed unprivileged users to request package operations, with PolicyKit handling privilege escalation.

aptdcon was created alongside aptdaemon as a straightforward command-line tool to interact with this new daemon, facilitating its development, testing, and debugging. Its usage primarily reflects the D-Bus methods exposed by the aptd service, evolving as aptdaemon itself matured.

apt(8), apt-get(8), dpkg(1), aptdaemon(7), policykit(8)