Package management with wajig
Rationalizing Debian

The wajig tool simplifies package management using self-explanatory sub-commands.
Debian's package tools are famous for their reliability. However, their weakness is that they developed over decades with little centralized planning. As a result, the Debian archives now list 44 package utilities starting with "apt" alone [1], each with its own set of options. Add other packages, such as dpkg and alien, and the total is closer to 60. Wajig [2] reduces this complexity by uniting package management under a single command with self-explanatory sub-commands.
Wajig has been an open secret in the Debian world for two decades. Graham Williams of Togaware, wajig's original developer, explains that users had trouble remembering not only Debian's commands but also "the extra greps and awks and finds that would be commonly used in conjunction with them. I was also regularly coming across tips and tricks for managing the system from various newsgroups and blog posts. I used to write them down in documents and cheat sheets, but then started to bring them together into a single command."
Because package management is an administrative function, Williams wrote it as a command-line tool. "Whilst GUIs can deliver quite a bit of simplicity and yet still offer quite a bit of power," Williams says, they can't do everything that we do from the command line."
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
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
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.