Howto apt-get or dpkg info on an uninstalled pkg?

[Larry Alkoff]

nodata wrote:
> Am Sonntag, den 06.05.2007, 15:55 -0500 schrieb Larry Alkoff:
>> How can I use apt-get or dpkg to get information on an uninstalled package?
>>
>> I have tried
>> dpkg -s package
>> but it only works on _already_ installed packages.
>>
>> Larry
>> -- 
>> Larry Alkoff N2LA - Austin TX
>> Using Thunderbird on Linux
>>
> 
> Look it up on the net (cached):
>  aptitude show PACKAGE
> 
> 


Thanks for the reply.

I tried aptitude show PACKAGE
and indeed it finds both installed and uninstalled packages.
It also shows which repository.

I'm a little cautious about using adept since it has crashed 3 or 4 
times in Dapper and twice in Feisty leading to unrecoverable errors 
causing me to completely reload the system from cdrom.

The typical problem is some problem with a package that got corrupted 
somehow (locks and bad downloads) and, after trying many fixes, I just 
re-installed the system.

Because of that I have been installing Synaptic which has never caused a 
problem and also using apt-get and dpkg which are also problem free.

So I would much prefer another solution besides Adept which I don't 
trust.  Although I'm a little more comfortable using Adept in command 
line mode where less can go wrong.

So if anyone has an apt-get, dpkg or other method of giving me package 
information, especially on non-installed package) I'd be grateful.

Larry

-- 
Larry Alkoff N2LA - Austin TX
Using Thunderbird on Linux