ubuntu & kubuntu

[Thorny]

On Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:22:47 -0300, Derek Broughton wrote:

> Thorny wrote:
> 
>> On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:35:50 -0300, Derek Broughton wrote:
>> 
>>> Mario Guenterberg wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Aptitude is a "front-end" for apt-get and does the same. You can do
>>>> install, update and remove packages with both of the utilities.
>>> 
>>> Actually, aptitude and apt-get are very similar (at least at the
>>> command line) front-ends for dpkg - aptitude never calls apt-get.
>> 
>> Derek, in my normally picky-picky mode I would make this comment.
>> Aptitude is a front end for apt which was crafted as a front end for
>> dpkg.
> 
> I challenge you to ever find an instance of aptitude running a command
> named "apt".  In fact, "apt" is a java tool on my system.  "apt" is a
> catch-all word for the whole Advanced Package Tool.  apt-get isn't a
> "front-end" for apt - it IS the command line component of the apt package.
> 
>> Apt-get
>> is a command line tool for apt and aptitude is a terminal based front
>> end for apt. Minor difference from what you wrote, but, strictly
>> speaking, more precise.
> 
> More precise, but essentially wrong.  Aptitude _has_ a terminal based
> front-end, but it's perfectly possible to use it almost exactly as you use
> apt-get. When it comes down to running other binaries, what they both
> execute is "dpkg" - just watch the process tree.

You are correct that I should have written APT.

No, of course there is no command apt but try uninstalling the package apt
and see if those CLI commands work with dpkg.

>From the description of apt:
"Advanced front-end for dpkg
This is Debian's next generation front-end for the dpkg package manager.
It provides the apt-get utility and APT dselect method that provides a
simpler, safer way to install and upgrade packages.

APT features complete installation ordering, multiple source capability
and several other unique features, see the Users Guide in apt-doc."

I don't think it is an accident that the CLI tool apt-get starts with the
letters "a", "p", "t". Nor do I think that it is an accident the terminal
interface aptitude (which you correctly state can also work as a CLI
command similar to apt-get) starts with "apt". 

Here is the description for aptitude:
"terminal-based apt frontend
aptitude is a terminal-based apt frontend with a number of useful
features, including: a mutt-like syntax for matching packages in a
flexible manner, dselect-like persistence of user actions, the
ability to retrieve and display the Debian changelog of most
packages, and a command-line mode similar to that of apt-get."

YMMV.