Getting Started with basic Linux package management operations

Guide

Most modern Unix-like operating systems provide a centralized package management mechanism to help users search, install, and manage software. Software is usually stored in the form of "package" in the warehouse "repository", the use and management of the package is called package management. The basic components of a Linux package typically include: Shared libraries, applications, services, and documents.

Package management is typically not limited to a one-time installation of software, but also includes tools for upgrading installed packages. The "package warehouse" helps ensure that the code is audited on the system you are using and is managed by the software developer or the package maintainer.

When configuring a Linux server or development environment, it is often not limited to using official sources. While the stable version of software packages used by official sources is likely to be outdated compared to the fast-updating iterations of today's version of the system, it is a common skill to master Common Linux package Management basic operations for systems administrators and developers.

Package Management System: A brief introduction

Most package management systems are collections built on package files that typically contain compiled binaries and other resources: software, installation scripts, metadata, and the list of dependencies required.

While most popular Linux distributions are similar in package management tools, methods, and forms, there are still platform differences:

system	format	Tools
Debian	. deb	Apt, Apt-cache, Apt-get, dpkg
Ubuntu	. deb	Apt, Apt-cache, Apt-get, dpkg
Centos	. rpm	Yum
Fedora	. rpm	Dnf

Debian and its derivatives such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Raspbian package format are . deb files, APT is the most common package Operations command, which can: search for libraries, install packages and their dependencies and manage upgrades. You need to use the dpkg command to install the ready -made. deb package directly.

CentOS, Fedora, and Red Hat series Linux use rpm package files and use the Yum command to manage package files and interact with the software library.

In the latest version of Fedora, theyum command has been replaced by DNF for package management.

Update the local package database list

Most Linux uses a local database to store a list of remotely available package warehouses, so it's a good idea to update the database before installing or upgrading the package.

system	Command
Debian/ubuntu	sudo apt-get update
Centos	Yum Check-update
Fedora	DNF Check-update

upgrade an installed package

In the absence of package management, it is a huge project to upgrade and maintain the latest version of Linux installed software, and administrators and users have to manually track upstream software version changes and security warnings. With a package management system, you can keep your software up-to-date with just a few commands.

system	Command	Notes
Debian/ubuntu	sudo apt-get upgrade	Upgrade only installed Packages
	sudo apt-get dist-upgrade	You can add or remove packages to meet the new dependencies.
Centos	sudo yum update
Fedora	sudo DNF upgrade

Find/Search Packages

Most Linux desktop editions provide a user-friendly interface for searching and installing soft packages, which is the best way to find and install software. But for the pursuit of efficiency and server administrators, using the command-line tool to find/search packages is the right way.

system	Command	Notes
Debian/ubuntu	Apt-cache Search Content
Centos	Yum Search Content
	Yum Search All content	Search all content, including package descriptions.
Fedora	DNF Search Content
	DNF Search All content	Search all content, including package descriptions.

View a package information

Before deciding which package to install, we often need to look at the detailed description of the package. The package's description file typically includes metadata such as package name, version number, and dependency list, which can be viewed using the following command.

system	Command	Notes
Debian/ubuntu	Apt-cache Show Package Name	Displays local cache information about the package
	Dpkg-s Package Name	Displays the current installation state of the package
Centos	Yum Info Package Name
	Yum Deplist Package Name	Since the package was listed
Fedora	DNF Info Package Name
	DNF Repoquery–requires Package Name	Since the package was listed

installing packages from the Software warehouse

Once we know the name of a package, we can use the following command to install the package from the repository.

system	Command	Notes
Debian/ubuntu	sudo apt-get Install package name
	sudo apt-get Install Pack 1 Pack 2 ...	Install all the listed packages
	sudo apt-get install-y package name	Direct installation without prompting
Centos	sudo yum install package name
	sudo yum Install Pack 1 Pack 2 ...	Install all the listed packages
	sudo yum install-y package name	Direct installation without prompting
Fedora	sudo DNF Install package name
	sudo DNF Install Pack 1 Pack 2 ...	Install all the listed packages
	sudo DNF install-y package name	Direct installation without prompting

install packages directly from the local file system

Most of the time, we need to install the package directly from the local file system after testing or getting the package directly from somewhere. Debian and derivative systems can be installed using dpkg , and the CentOS and Fedora systems are installed using the Yum and DNF commands.

system	Command	Notes
Debian/ubuntu	sudo dpkg-i package name. deb
	sudo apt-get install-y gdebi&& sudo gdebi package name. deb	Using Gdebi to retrieve missing dependencies
Centos	sudo yum install package name. rpm
Fedora	sudo DNF install package name. rpm

Remove an installed package

Because the package manager knows which files are provided by which packages, it is usually possible to get a clean system after uninstalling the unwanted packages.

system	Command	Notes
Debian/ubuntu	sudo apt-get Remove package name
	sudo apt-get autoremove	Automatic removal of known unwanted packages
Centos	sudo yum Remove package name
Fedora	sudo DNF Erase package name

OK, this article is about the common Linux distribution package management basic operations, to help beginners get started faster and everyone in the Linux distribution to get started faster.

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Getting Started with basic Linux package management operations