Querying the package list with apt-cache
Look Inside
We take a look at apt-cache, an essential utility for command line-based package management.
Debian-based systems have several dozen utilities for managing packages from the command line. After apt-get and dpkg, the most important is apt-cache [1]. Apt-cache queries the packages in your repositories, providing the information you want before you install. If you want to know a package's statistics and dependencies, which package contains an application, or whether a package exists at all, then apt-cache is an essential utility for command line-based package management.
The cache referred to in the name is the list of information about all packages available in the Debian package management system – which means those installed from tarballs are excluded. This cache is based on the sources contained in /etc/apt/source.lists, as well as some files in the /etc/apt/sources.lists.d directory.
The main part of the cache, which contains information about the current state of each package, is stored in /var/lib/apt/lists. Information about packages in transition, such as those held back during installation, is stored in /var/lib/apt/lists/partial/. As you might guess from the locations, regular users can query apt-cache, but any alteration or updating of the cache requires the root account.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.
-
KaOS 2025.05 Officially Qt5 Free
If you're a fan of independent Linux distributions, the team behind KaOS is proud to announce the latest iteration that includes kernel 6.14 and KDE's Plasma 6.3.5.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 Now Available
The latest Linux kernel is now available with several new features/improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Microsoft Makes Surprising WSL Announcement
In a move that might surprise some users, Microsoft has made Windows Subsystem for Linux open source.
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.