Question

3

How to list all my packages from command line which can show package name, license, source url, etc?

rated 0 times [ 3] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 10624 / 2 Years ago, mon, september 26, 2022, 6:41:36

How to get all the installed package list with there license, source url? Such as following only shows name of the package only.

$ dpkg --get-selections

acpi-support                    install

acpid                       install

adduser                     install

adium-theme-ubuntu              install

aisleriot                   install

alacarte                    install

For example in Fedora/CentOS (RED HAT LINUX BRANCH), you can see that:

$ yum info busybox

Loaded plugins: auto-update-debuginfo, langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit

Available Packages

Name        : busybox

Arch        : i686

Epoch       : 1

Version     : 1.18.2

Release     : 5.fc15

Size        : 615 k

Repo        : updates

Summary     : Statically linked binary providing simplified versions of system commands

URL         : http://www.busybox.net

License     : GPLv2

Description : Busybox is a single binary which includes versions of a large number

            : of system commands, including a shell.  This package can be very

            : useful for recovering from certain types of system failures,

            : particularly those involving broken shared libraries.

Follow up:

/var/lib/apt/lists$ ls

extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_binary-amd64_Packages

extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_source_Sources

extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_Release

extras.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_Release.gpg

lock

partial

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_main_binary-amd64_Packages

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_main_source_Sources

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_multiverse_source_Sources

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_Release

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_Release.gpg

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_restricted_source_Sources

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_universe_binary-amd64_Packages

security.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-security_universe_source_Sources

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_binary-amd64_Packages

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_main_source_Sources

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_multiverse_source_Sources

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_Release

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_Release.gpg

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_restricted_source_Sources

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_universe_binary-amd64_Packages

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty_universe_source_Sources

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_main_binary-amd64_Packages

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_main_source_Sources

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_multiverse_source_Sources

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_Release

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_Release.gpg

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_restricted_source_Sources

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_universe_binary-amd64_Packages

us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_natty-updates_universe_source_Sources

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lowovey

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3 Years ago

answered 2 Years ago quivedge · Accepted Answer

dpkg-query is a utility which allows you to query the dpkg database. To print the name and homepage of all installed packages:

$ dpkg-query -f='${PackageSpec;-30}	${Homepage}

' -W "*"

a2ps                            

aalib1                          

abrowser                        

abrowser-branding               

accountsservice                 http://cgit.freedesktop.org/accountsservice/

acl                             http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/acl/

acpi-support                    

acpid                           http://www.tedfelix.com/linux/acpid-netlink.html

adbbs                           

adduser                         http://alioth.debian.org/projects/adduser/

...

Note that the homepage is not a required entry in the Debian package control file. I'd say only around 40% of the packages installed on my system have a homepage listed.

There is no simple way to (programatically) determine the license of a package. The Debian control file has no field for a license title. License details for a package foo should be given in the /usr/share/doc/<foo>/copyright file. However, there is no standard format for these files. Some of them are fairly simple and basically say this is released under the GPL v3, see /usr/share/common-licenses/GPL-3 for the full license text. Others have a custom license included in full. Complex packages can have different licenses for different pieces of it (e.g., one for the program and another for graphics). Often, the license of the Debian packaging information is also included.

In short: it is simple to manually get the license for a single package. If you need to do it automatically for all installed packages, it will take a large amount of effort.