apt and dpkg beyond the basic use of installing programs

0Milinda • 7th Oct 2008 • linux, linux tips

When I start to reading Ubuntu packaging guide, I found this interesting things which can do using apt and dpkg.

• apt-cache dump: lists every package in the cache. This command is especially helpful in combination with a grep pipe such as apt-cache dump | grep foo to search for packages whose names or dependencies include foo.
• apt-cache policy : lists the repositories (main/restricted/universe/multiverse) in which a package exists.
• apt-cache show: displays information about a binary package.
• apt-cache showsrc: displays information about a source package.
• apt-cache rdepends: shows reverse dependencies for a package (which packages require the queried one.
• dpkg -S: lists the binary package to which a particular file belongs.
• dpkg -l: lists currently installed packages. This is similar to apt-cache dump but for installed packages.
• dpkg -c: lists the contents of a binary package. It is useful for ensuring that files are installed to the right places.
• dpkg -f: shows the control file for a binary package. It is useful for ensuring that the dependencies are correct.
• grep-dctrl: searches for specialized information in packages. It is a specific use of the grep package (but not installed by default).

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