Package Management¶

Linux software is distributed as packages - archives containing binaries, libraries, configs, and metadata. Package managers handle installation, dependency resolution, updates, and removal across two major ecosystems.

Key Facts¶

Debian/Ubuntu: .deb packages - tools: dpkg, apt, aptitude
Red Hat/CentOS/Fedora: .rpm packages - tools: rpm, yum, dnf
High-level tools (apt, yum, dnf) resolve dependencies automatically
Low-level tools (dpkg, rpm) manage individual package files only

APT - Debian/Ubuntu¶

Update and Upgrade¶

sudo apt update               # refresh package index (no installs)
sudo apt upgrade              # upgrade all packages
sudo apt full-upgrade         # upgrade + install new deps + remove obsolete

update vs upgrade: update syncs the package list; upgrade installs newer versions.

Install and Remove¶

sudo apt install package              # install
sudo apt install pkg1 pkg2 pkg3       # install multiple
sudo apt install pkg --no-upgrade     # install only if not present
sudo apt install pkg --only-upgrade   # upgrade only if already installed
sudo apt remove package               # remove (keep config)
sudo apt purge package                # remove + delete config files
sudo apt autoremove                   # remove unused dependencies

Search and Info¶

apt search keyword            # search packages
apt show package              # detailed info
apt list --installed          # list installed
apt list --upgradeable        # available upgrades

Repositories¶

Config: /etc/apt/sources.list and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:user/repo     # add PPA (Ubuntu)

dpkg - Low-Level Debian¶

dpkg -l                       # list all installed packages
dpkg -l | wc -l               # count installed
dpkg -i package.deb           # install .deb file
dpkg -r package               # remove (keep config)
dpkg -P package               # purge (remove + config)
dpkg -s package               # package status
dpkg -L package               # list files in package
dpkg -S /path/to/file         # find which package owns a file
apt download package           # download .deb without installing

snap - Universal Packages¶

sudo apt install snapd
snap find package             # search
sudo snap install package     # install
sudo snap remove package      # remove
snap list                     # installed snaps
snap refresh                  # update all
snap info package             # details

YUM - RHEL/CentOS 7¶

yum install package           # install
yum install -y package        # no confirmation
yum remove package            # remove
yum update                    # update all
yum search keyword            # search
yum info package              # info
yum list installed            # list installed
yum autoremove                # remove unused deps
yum downgrade package         # rollback

DNF - RHEL 8+, Fedora¶

Modern replacement for YUM with same syntax.

dnf install package
dnf remove package
dnf update
dnf search keyword
dnf list installed
dnf history                   # transaction history
dnf history undo last         # undo last transaction

RPM - Low-Level Red Hat¶

sudo rpm -i package.rpm       # install
sudo rpm -U package.rpm       # upgrade
sudo rpm -e package           # remove
rpm -q package                # query if installed
rpm -qa                       # list all installed
rpm -ql package               # list files in package
rpm -qi package               # package info

Comparison¶

Feature	APT	YUM/DNF	dpkg	RPM
Distro	Debian	RHEL	Debian	Red Hat
Dependency resolution	Yes	Yes	No	No
Remote repos	Yes	Yes	No	No
Package format	.deb	.rpm	.deb	.rpm

winget - Windows Package Manager¶

winget search package         # search
winget install package        # install
winget uninstall package      # remove
winget upgrade --all          # upgrade all
winget list                   # list installed
winget export -o pkgs.json    # export package list
winget import -i pkgs.json    # import and install

Gotchas¶

Always run apt update before apt install to get latest package lists
apt remove keeps config files; apt purge removes everything
dpkg cannot resolve dependencies - use apt install -f to fix broken deps after dpkg
RPM fails silently on missing deps - always prefer yum/dnf
snap packages are sandboxed and self-contained but larger than native packages
Mixing package managers (e.g., apt + snap for same software) can cause conflicts