Question

24

Command-line equivalences of some tasks in Synaptic

rated 0 times [ 24] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 6770 / 2 Years ago, fri, december 24, 2021, 2:56:49

I already use apt-get for most of my package management. Yet, there are times when I occasionally need to use Synaptic to do certain things. I would like to learn the equivalent commands for doing the following things in Synaptic:

Check a package's dependencies / dependent packages. (This can be done in Synaptic by viewing the properties of a package).

Browse available packages

Search (in package names as well as the details/descriptions) for some key. (The search function at the top of synaptic)

Check if a package is installed or not

Also, is there a way to find packages that are no longer necessary (e.g. a package no longer in use because I removed a dependency). I have a feeling my system is terribly bloated because I removed certain programs and not all the dependencies went with them.

Answers

Only authorized users can answer the question. Please sign in first, or register a free account.

iedncommon

Add To Favorites

Follow

Total Points: 200

Total Questions: 95

Total Answers: 132

Location: Tonga

Member since Mon, Aug 2, 2021

3 Years ago

iedncommon questions

1 Drivers for the Netgear wifi adapter A6100

Sat, Jun 4, 22, 18:20, 2 Years ago

1 Snapd User Session Agent (2)

Mon, Apr 4, 22, 08:10, 2 Years ago

1 How to append values to the list in shell script..?

Tue, Jul 6, 21, 15:11, 3 Years ago

1 Ubuntu Focal freezes and does not resume after suspend (e.g. laptop close)

Thu, Jul 22, 21, 03:45, 3 Years ago

1 Lubuntu 20.04 (LXQt): Which file(s) assigns the preset bash Environment Variables?

Mon, Apr 18, 22, 18:41, 2 Years ago

View All

answered 2 Years ago housecoarmer · Accepted Answer

Check a package's dependencies / dependent packages. (This can be done in Synaptic by viewing the properties of a package):
```
apt-cache depend 'package-name'

apt-cache rdepend 'package-name'
```

Browse available packages

apt-cache pkgnames

apt-cache search '.*'

apt-cache show 'package-name'

Search (in package names as well as the details/descriptions) for some key. (The search function at the top of synaptic)
```
apt-cache search pattern

apt-cache --names-only search pattern
```

Check if a package is installed or not
```
dpkg -l | grep package-name
```

The last one could not give the desired result, because when the terminal width is narrow the columns are truncated. Safer alternatives are

dpkg-query -Wf '${Package}

' | grep pkg

dpkg --get-selections | grep pkg