List of All Linux Package Management commands
Contents
List of All Linux Package Management commands
Learn essential Linux package management commands for popular distributions like Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, and more.
- Upgrade, install, and remove packages with confidence using APT, DNF, Pacman, Zypper, and other package managers
- These commands cover the basics of package management on some of the most popular Linux distributions.
- Keep in mind that there might be additional package management tools or variations depending on the specific distribution you are using.
- Always refer to the distribution’s documentation for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
- In Linux, package management commands can vary depending on the distribution.
Here are some common package management commands for various package managers:
Debian/Ubuntu (APT)
Update package list:
sudo apt update
Upgrade installed packages:
sudo apt upgrade
Install a package:
sudo apt install package_name
Remove a package:
sudo apt remove package_name
Search for a package:
apt search package_name
Red Hat/Fedora (DNF/Yum)
Update package list:
sudo dnf update
Upgrade installed packages:
sudo dnf upgrade
Install a package:
sudo dnf install package_name
Remove a package:
sudo dnf remove package_name
Search for a package:
dnf search package_name
Arch Linux (Pacman)
Update package list:
sudo pacman -Sy
Upgrade installed packages:
sudo pacman -Syu
Install a package:
sudo pacman -S package_name
Remove a package:
sudo pacman -R package_name
Search for a package:
pacman -Ss package_name
SUSE/openSUSE (zypper)
Update package list:
sudo zypper refresh
Upgrade installed packages:
sudo zypper update
Install a package:
sudo zypper install package_name
Remove a package:
sudo zypper remove package_name
Search for a package:
zypper search package_name
Debian/Ubuntu (APT)
Show information about a package:
apt show package_name
Autoremove unused packages:
sudo apt autoremove
Clean local repository of retrieved package files:
sudo apt clean
Red Hat/Fedora (DNF/Yum)
Show information about a package:
dnf info package_name
List installed packages:
dnf list installed
Clean package cache:
sudo dnf clean all
Arch Linux (Pacman)
Show information about a package:
pacman -Qi package_name
List explicitly installed packages:
pacman -Qe
Clean package cache:
sudo pacman -Sc
SUSE/openSUSE (zypper)
Show information about a package:
zypper info package_name
List installed packages:
zypper se --installed-only
Clean package cache:
sudo zypper clean
These commands provide additional functionality for managing packages on each respective Linux distribution. Remember to refer to the distribution’s documentation for more detailed information and options for package management.
Snap (used across various distributions)
Install a snap package:
sudo snap install package_name
Remove a snap package:
sudo snap remove package_name
List installed snap packages:
snap list
Update all installed snap packages:
sudo snap refresh
Flatpak (used across various distributions)
Install a Flatpak package:
flatpak install package_name
Remove a Flatpak package:
flatpak uninstall package_name
List installed Flatpak packages:
flatpak list
Update all installed Flatpak packages:
flatpak update
RPM Package Manager (used on RPM-based systems like CentOS)
Install an RPM package:
sudo rpm -i package.rpm
Remove an RPM package:
sudo rpm -e package_name
Query information about an installed RPM package:
rpm -q package_name
dpkg (used on Debian-based systems)
Extract contents of a Debian package (deb):
dpkg -x package.deb /target/directory
List files installed by a package:
dpkg -L package_name
Reconfigure an already installed package:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure package_name
These commands cover additional package management tools commonly used in the Linux ecosystem.
Keep in mind that the availability of these tools may vary based on the specific Linux distribution and its package management system.
Always refer to the documentation of your distribution for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Quiz 1
Here’s a short quiz to test your knowledge of Linux package management commands:
1-What command is used to update the package list in APT-based systems (e.g., Debian, Ubuntu)?
A) sudo apt upgrade
B) sudo apt update
C) sudo apt install
D) apt search
2-How do you upgrade installed packages in DNF-based systems (e.g., Fedora)?
A) sudo dnf upgrade
B) sudo dnf update
C) dnf install
D) dnf upgrade
3-In Pacman, what command is used to install a package?
A) sudo pacman -U package_name
B) sudo pacman -S package_name
C) sudo pacman -I package_name
D) pacman -R package_name
4-What Snap command is used to list installed snap packages?
A) snap find
B) snap list
C) sudo snap install
D) sudo snap refresh
5-Which command is used to clean the package cache in zypper (SUSE/openSUSE)?
A) sudo zypper clear
B) sudo zypper clean
C) sudo zypper update
D) zypper search
6-In Flatpak, what command is used to install a package?
A) flatpak add
B) flatpak install
C) flatpak remove
D) flatpak list
7-How do you remove an RPM package on an RPM-based system (e.g., CentOS)?
A) sudo rpm -r package_name
B) sudo rpm -e package_name
C) rpm remove package_name
D) yum erase package_name
8-What dpkg command lists files installed by a package on Debian-based systems?
A) dpkg -L package_name
B) dpkg -I package_name
C) sudo dpkg-reconfigure package_name
D) dpkg –list-files package_name
Answers:
1-B) sudo apt update
2-B) sudo dnf update
3-B) sudo pacman -S package_name
4-B) snap list
5-B) sudo zypper clean
6-B) flatpak install
7-B) sudo rpm -e package_name
8-A) dpkg -L package_name
Quiz 2
1-What command is used to search for a package in the Arch Linux Pacman package manager?
A) pacman -Q package_name
B) sudo pacman -Ss package_name
C) pacman -R package_name
D) sudo pacman -Qi package_name
2-In APT, what command is used to upgrade the system to the latest distribution release?
A) sudo apt upgrade
B) sudo apt dist-upgrade
C) sudo apt release-upgrade
D) sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
3-What Snap command is used to display information about a specific snap package?
A) snap info package_name
B) sudo snap package_info
C) sudo snap describe package_name
D) snap show package_name
4-In DNF, how do you check information about an installed package?
A) sudo dnf info package_name
B) sudo dnf show package_name
C) dnf list package_name
D) dnf package-info package_name
Answers:
1-B) sudo pacman -Ss package_name
2-B) sudo apt dist-upgrade
3-A) snap info package_name
4-A) sudo dnf info package_name
Quiz 3
1-What command is used to list all installed packages on a Debian-based system using dpkg?
A) dpkg -l
B) dpkg -I
C) dpkg -p
D) dpkg –list-packages
2-In Yum, how do you display information about an installed package?
A) yum show package_name
B) yum info package_name
C) yum display package_name
D) yum describe package_name
3-What is the purpose of the sudo apt autoremove command in APT-based systems?
A) Install new packages
B) Upgrade installed packages
C) Remove orphaned dependencies
D) Clean the package cache
3-How can you list all the files installed by a Flatpak package?
A) flatpak list-files package_name
B) flatpak show package_name
C) flatpak files package_name
D) flatpak list package_name
Answers:
1-A) dpkg -l
2-B) yum info package_name
3-C) Remove orphaned dependencies
4-A) flatpak list-files package_name