Ubuntu
apt package

How can I find which apps I've installed using apt-get

Asked by Saul Lubkin

Previously, I installed Ubuntu on a week computer, and used apt-get to install
many useful packages, which I need. This tokk many days.

I'm now installing Ubuntu on a much better system. Rather than re-invent the wheel, which requires time that unfortunately I do not have now, I'd simply like to find out which packages I installed on the week computer.

Then, using apt-get, I can install these same packages on the new, much more powerful, computer.

But I don't know how to do this: I'm sure ther must be a file, that has this information in it somewhere?

Help much appreciated.

Thank you,

  -- Saul

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actionparsnip
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Best actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

To replicate your packages selection on another machine (or restore it if re-installing), you can type:

aptitude --display-format '%p' search '?installed!?automatic' > ~/my-packages

move the file "my-packages" to the other machine, and there type:
sudo xargs aptitude --schedule-only install < my-packages ; sudo aptitude install

Done

Revision history for this message
Bhavani Shankar (bhavi) said : 		#2

even simpler

dpkg --get-selections > mypakages.txt

will list the apps you have installed move that file and use apt again as suggested in above post

Regards

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

Unfortunately that wont work as it creates an output lkike this:

xserver-xorg-video-siliconmotion install
xserver-xorg-video-sis install
xserver-xorg-video-sisusb install
xserver-xorg-video-tdfx install
xserver-xorg-video-trident install
xserver-xorg-video-tseng install
xserver-xorg-video-v4l install
xserver-xorg-video-vesa install
xserver-xorg-video-vmware install
xserver-xorg-video-voodoo install
xsltproc install
xsplash install
xterm install
xulrunner-1.9 install
xulrunner-1.9-gnome-support install
xulrunner-1.9.1 install
xulrunner-1.9.1-gnome-support install
yelp install
zenity install
zip install
zlib1g install

Wheras my command generates output like this:

xserver-xorg-video-s3virge
xserver-xorg-video-savage
xserver-xorg-video-siliconmotion
xserver-xorg-video-sis
xserver-xorg-video-sisusb
xserver-xorg-video-tdfx
xserver-xorg-video-trident
xserver-xorg-video-tseng
xserver-xorg-video-v4l
xserver-xorg-video-vesa
xserver-xorg-video-vmware
xserver-xorg-video-voodoo
xsltproc
xsplash
xterm
xulrunner-1.9
xulrunner-1.9-gnome-support
yelp
zenity
zip
zlib1g

Also, my guide is the one from #ubuntu on irc.freenode.net from the ubottu bot. The installer may get confused by the rogue 'install' words in the file so may bork the process

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Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#4

add:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingSoftware#Backup/Restore%20installed%20packages
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1057608

Revision history for this message
Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#5

Another example.
Create:
dpkg --get-selections | awk '!/deinstall|purge|hold/ {print $1}' > packages.list

Install:
xargs -a "packages.list" sudo apt-get install

Revision history for this message
Saul Lubkin (saul-lubkin) said : 		#6

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.