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

[Larry Alkoff]

Larry Alkoff wrote:
> 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
> 


I sit corrected since I confused adept with the command line adept.
It's working just fine to scour the net for packages.

Larry

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