Propose a PackageManagementHowto howto
Yannick Le Saint (kyncani)
y.lesaint at gmail.com
Thu May 12 21:25:14 UTC 2005
Answering some question in ubuntu-users mailing list, i've made a
document that, i think, could enter ubuntu wiki.
Now i have absolutely no experience at all doing this, so i'm looking
for directions, both in ubuntu wiki and asking this mailing list.
This is the document as it is now, trying to follow MoinMoin format :
{{{
PackageManagementHowto
}}}
= PackageManagementHowto =
== 1- Introduction ==
* Many different tools/files are used in Ubuntu for package
management, each one having a different purpose. This howto will help
you putting it all together.
* The tools will be listed in order of importance, with each one of
them :
* A small description.
* Examples of common use.
* Related tools, when applicable.
* Some links.
* Keep in mind that there are a lot of tools __because__ there is a
lot of different needs.
== 2- Contents ==
* 1- Introduction
* 2- Contents
* The tools and files presented in this howto :
* 3- /etc/apt/sources.list
* 4- apt-get
* 5- dpkg
* 6- synaptic, kynaptic
* 7- apt-cache
* 8- debfoster
* 9- dpkg-reconfigure
* 10- apt-file
* 11- dlocate
* 12- dpkg-divert
* 13- /etc/apt/preferences
* 14- gkdebconf
* 15- debmirror
* 16- apt-build
* 17- equivs
* 18- vrms
* 19- auto-apt
* 20- aptitude
* 21- dselect
* 22- deborphan
== 3- /etc/apt/sources.list ==
* Package repositories are defined here.
* Packages will be automagically pulled from them on install/upgrade.
* __Example__, enabling almost everything available for hoary :
--------
{{{
## Hoary
## Security
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-security main restricted
universe multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-security main restricted
universe multiverse
## Major bug fixes
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-updates main restricted
universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary-updates main restricted
universe multiverse
##Main archive
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary main restricted universe
multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hoary main restricted universe
multiverse
}}}
--------
* __Related items :__
* apt-get
* synaptic, kynaptic
* /etc/apt/preferences
== 4- apt-get ==
* High-level package management.
* Apt-get can install/upgrade/remove packages. It can also upgrade the
entire system.
* Apt-get will use /etc/apt/sources.list to get new packages/updates
automagically.
* __Examples :__
* apt-get update
Update package informations using online repositories.
This will make apt know about updates that have happened since
last time
you have "apt-get update".
* apt-get install ssh
Install the ssh package, automagically handling ssh dependencies.
* apt-get dist-upgrade
Upgrade the entire system.
* __Related tools :__
* synaptic, kynaptic
* __Links :__
* http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/AptGetHowTo
== 5- dpkg ==
* Low-level package management.
* Dpkg will __not__ use /etc/apt/sources to retrieve packages, this is
the job of apt.
* __Examples :__
* dpkg -l ssh
* Show the state of package ssh (installed or not, ...)
* dpkg -L ssh
* List files provided by package ssh, which must be installed.
* dpkg -i ./openssh-server_1%3a3.9p1-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
* Install a .deb package file.
== 6- synaptic, kynaptic ==
* Graphical package managers.
* These will provide the same funcionnalities than apt-get with a
user-friendly graphical interface.
* Synaptic is gnome-centric, kynaptic is kde-centric.
* __Related tools :__
* apt-get
* apt-cache
* __Links :__
* http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/SynapticHowto
== 7- apt-cache ==
* Search/show various informations about packages, like :
* Description of the package.
* Version available.
* The packages do '''not''' have to be already installed for apt-cache
to work.
* __Examples :__
* apt-cache search -i http proxy
* Look for a http proxy.
* apt-cache search -i webmin
* Look for webmin-related packages
* apt-cache show ssh
* Show many informations about ssh (description, version, ...)
* __Related tools :__
* synaptic, kynaptic
== 8- debfoster ==
* Handle orphaned packages
* Keep a system clean of old libraries
* Remove a package along with all the dependencies it pulled in.
* __Examples :__
* debfoster
* Remove existing orphaned packages, usually old libraries.
* debfoster gnome-
* Remove gnome, along with all its dependencies.
* __Related tools :__
* deborphan
* __Links :__
* http://www.fruit.eu.org/debfoster/
== 9- dpkg-reconfigure ==
* Reconfigure a package.
* __Example :__
* dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
* Reconfigure xorg.
* __Related tools :__
* gkdebconf
== 10- apt-file ==
* Find out which package can provide some file.
* The package do '''not''' have to be already installed for apt-file
to work.
* __Examples :__
* apt-file search -i bin/scp
* Look for a package that would provide bin/scp on install.
* apt-file list psh
* Show what files psh would provide if installed.
* __Related tools :__
* dlocate
== 11- dlocate ==
* Find out which package is providing some file.
* Can only handle already installed packages.
* __Example :__
* dlocate `which scp`
* Find out which package is providing scp.
* __Related tools :__
* apt-file
== 12- dpkg-divert ==
* Move/rename a package provided file.
* __This can be used to :__
* provide a local implementation of a specific file, making sure it
won't be overwritten by Ubuntu package management
* move a file to some place else.
* __Examples :__
* dpkg-divert --add --local
--divert /etc/monit/.monitrc.local-divert --rename /etc/monit/monitrc
* Renames /etc/monit/monitrc, so that your version won't get
overwritten.
* dpkg-divert --add --local --divert /etc/cron.weekly/vrms
--rename /etc/cron.monthly/vrms
Move /etc/cron.monthly/vrms so that it gets executed on a weekly
basis.
== 13- /etc/apt/preferences ==
* Set different priorities/policies to your repositories.
* Also known as apt-pinning
* __Related item :__
* /etc/apt/sources.list
* __Links :__
* http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/PinningHowto
== 14- gkdebconf ==
* Graphical front-end that :
* Show which packages can be reconfigured
* Can reconfigure them.
* __Related tools :__
* dpkg-reconfigure
== 15- debmirror ==
* Create a local mirror of online repositories.
* __Links :__
* http://www.interparse.com/debianmirror/
== 16- apt-build ==
* Download, compile and install a package.
* __Related tools :__
* apt-get
== 17- equivs ==
* Make ubuntu package management think you already have a package.
== 18- vrms ==
* Check your software licenses.
== 19- auto-apt ==
* Automatically install packages on missing file access.
* __Related tools :__
* apt-file
== 20- aptitude ==
* Apt frontend.
* __Related tools :__
* apt-get
* synaptic, kynaptic
== 21- dselect ==
* Dpkg frontend
* __Related tools :__
* dpkg
== 22- deborphan ==
* Find orphaned packages
* __Related tools :__
* debfoster
--
Yannick Le Saint (kyncani) <y.lesaint at gmail.com>
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