aptitude-curses

aptitude-curses [options] [action [arguments...]]
(Interactive TUI if no action; e.g., aptitude-curses for menu)

-h, --help
    Display help summary and exit

-V, --version
    Output version information

-v, --verbose level
    Increase log verbosity (level >0)

-q, --quiet level
    Reduce output verbosity

-y, --assume-yes
    Automatically answer 'yes' to prompts

-s, --simulate
    Simulate actions without changes

-D, --download-only
    Download packages without installing

-O, --print-once
    Show on-screen once, suppress repeats

-F format, --display-format format
    Set package display format string

-G, --gui
    Run graphical interface (not curses)

-t release, --target-release release
    Use packages from specific release

--disable-suggests
    Ignore suggested packages

-f, --fix-broken
    Fix broken dependencies automatically

--show-resolver-actions
    Display dependency resolver steps

aptitude-curses is the full-screen, keyboard-driven textual user interface (TUI) for the Aptitude package manager on Debian-based systems. It leverages the ncurses library to provide an interactive environment for browsing, searching, installing, upgrading, and removing packages via the APT frontend.

Unlike command-line tools like apt or apt-get, it offers hierarchical package views grouped by status (e.g., upgrades available, newly installed), powerful regex-based and tag-based searches, dependency resolution visualization, and change simulation before commitment. Users navigate with arrow keys, perform actions via hotkeys (e.g., + to install, - to remove), and switch between screens like package lists, previews, and logs.

It supports undo/redo for sessions, holding packages, broken reverse dependency highlighting, and policy-based automatic resolutions. Ideal for servers or low-bandwidth connections, it reduces command verbosity while providing more context and safety nets. Configuration via ~/.aptitude/aptitude.conf allows customization of themes, keybindings, and behaviors.

Overwhelming for beginners due to keybindings and views; requires terminal with color support; resolver may take time on complex deps; not for non-Debian APT systems.

Navigation: arrows/hjkl; Install: +; Remove: -; Upgrade: u; Hold: =; Search: /; Menu: Ctrl+t; Quit: q; Commit: ! (see ?m for menu).

Toggle with \: flat (all packages), categorized (status groups), debtags, custom patterns; Preview screen shows change summary before commit.

Developed by Daniel Burrows starting 1998 as frontend to dpkg and APT; integrated into Debian ~2004; curses UI evolved with regex search (v0.2.14, 2005), safe resolver (v0.4, 2008), multi-theme support later; maintained sporadically, latest stable ~0.8.13 (2022).

aptitude(8), apt(8), apt-get(8), dpkg(1), synaptic(8)