Overview
This lecture covers managing Debian packages in Linux, focusing on installing, removing, and listing packages using command-line tools.
Linux Distributions and Package Types
- Linux distributions (distros) use different package formats; Red Hat uses .rpm, Debian uses .deb files.
- Ubuntu, based on Debian, also uses .deb package files.
Installing and Removing Debian Packages
- Standalone Debian packages have the .deb extension.
- Use the
dpkg -i <package>.deb command to install a Debian package ("-i" means install).
- Remove a package with the command
dpkg -r <package> ("-r" stands for remove).
Listing and Searching Installed Packages
- List all installed Debian packages with
dpkg -l ("-l" stands for list).
- To search for a specific package, pipe the output of
dpkg -l to grep, e.g., dpkg -l | grep <package>.
- The pipe (
|) operator sends the output of one command to another.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Distribution (Distro) — A version of Linux with its own system and package management.
- .rpm package — Red Hat Package Manager format used by Red Hat-based distros.
- .deb package — Debian package file format used by Debian-based distros.
- dpkg — Debian package manager command-line tool for managing .deb packages.
- Pipe (
|) — Sends output of one command as input to another in the command line.
- grep — Command-line tool for searching text using patterns.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice installing and removing .deb packages using
dpkg -i and dpkg -r.
- Use
dpkg -l and grep to list and search for installed packages.
- Review command-line basics if needed for pipes and searching with grep.