Ubuntu
apt package

why two commands?

Asked by Mark Faine

Why must I type apt-get ... to download, remove and then apt-cache for searches?

I'd like to suggest as a feature the ability to simply type apt-get search <package>

Sometimes when I try to install a package and I guess the wrong name I get annoyed that I then have to backspace through the entire command to change 'get' to 'cache'. It seems that it shouldn' be necessary. Furthermore, when I type a command that doesn't exist I get a list of possible packages I could install that would contain that command. The same should happen when I type:

sudo apt-get install <wrong package name>

.. possible matches include:
package a
package b
...

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marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#1

you can use the software center or the synaptic package manager that's available on the gnome and kde desktops to search for packages. it's easier than using apt-get

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#2

aptitude can do all of them if you wish.

apt-get is for only installing and removing (etc) packages. It doesn't care about searching. Similarly apt-cache cannot install packages.

Software-centre is an abstraction for both and gives a single point of contact for both. You could create aliases for both commands to make it look similar/different as you wish

Personnal I have

package-search == apt-cache search
package-install == sudo apt-get install
package-remove == sudo apt-get --purge remove

Which makes life nice

Revision history for this message
Mark Faine (mark-faine) said : 		#3

Not much of a gui guy. I use cli and often access desktops remotely over ssh. Two different issues really. I don't think that software center is meant to be a replacement for apt but an alternative.

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mycae (mycae) said : 		#4

Like actionparsnip said, you probably want to install and use aptitude. I find its dependency resolution to be better (in problematic scenarios), and it has a nice CLI-UI (CLUI?) based upon ncurses, if that floats your boat.

I have seen claims that you should not mix apt-get and aptitude though -- not sure why.

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Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#5

When I read manpage I'd say the difference is active and passive.
In other words with apt-get I can break my system actively while apt-cache is rather passive.

apt-get - APT package handling utility -- command-line interface
...tool for handling packages, and may be considered the user's "back-end" to other tools using the APT library...
...Several "front-end" interfaces exist, such as dselect(1), aptitude(8), synaptic(8) and wajig(1).

apt-cache - APT package handling utility -- cache manipulator
apt-cache does not manipulate the state of the system

> try to install a package and I guess the wrong name

For me I do it the other way around, I search first, cause I like to read description and learn about dependencies and conflicts.

> backspace through the entire command

Or just use arrow keys, at least it feels faster.
Anyway alias are very helpful e.g.:
alias acs='apt-cache search'
alias sag='sudo apt-get'

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#6

apt-cache also does NOT require sudo as you are only querying the known package lists (both the installed list and available, to give the status of a package). apt-get actively manipulates the files, deleting files or adding new files so needs sudo

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