How to list all installed packages?

Question

I'd like to output a list of all installed packages into a text file, so that I can review it and bulk-install on another system. How to do this?

Answer 1

To get a list of packages installed locally and save as a text file called packages on your desktop do this in your terminal:

dpkg --get-selections > ~/Desktop/packages

(you don't need to run this as the superuser, so no "sudo")

Answer 2

Create a backup of what packages are currently installed:

sudo dpkg --get-selections > list.txt

Then (on another system) restore installations from that list:

sudo dpkg --clear-selections
sudo dpkg --set-selections < list.txt

To get rid of stale packages

sudo apt-get autoremove

To get installed like at backup time

sudo apt-get dselect-upgrade

Answer 3

The command you need is dpkg --get-selections, which will give you a list of all the currently installed packages.

$ dpkg --get-selections
adduser                                         install
alsa-base                                       install
alsa-utils                                      install
apache2                                         install
apache2-mpm-prefork                             install
apache2-utils                                   install
apache2.2-common                                install
apt                                             install
apt-utils                                       install

Answer 4

To get just the packages which were expressly installed (not just installed as dependencies), you can run

aptitude search '~i!~M'

This will also include a brief description, which you may want. If not, use the option -F '%p', as mentioned by karthick87.

caveat: as pointed out by gertvdijk in the comments, aptitude is not currently (as of 2013-01-11) considered reliable. This applies to releases starting with 11.10. Our not-thoroughly-informed consensus seems to be that it will most likely work properly for the purposes of this question, but that you should nonetheless be wary until the fix works its way into active Ubuntu releases.

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Yet another option seems to be to copy the file /var/lib/apt/extended_states, which is a text file database in this format:

Package: grub-common
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 0

Package: linux-headers-2.6.35-22-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Auto-Installed: 0 indicates that the package was expressly installed and is not just a dependency.

Answer 5

You can use Synaptic to save the current state of your installed packaged. In Synaptic, select "file/save markings", Enter the name of the file to save the state to, and make sure to check the "Save full state, not only changes" box.

The file saved from this can be loaded into a new machine using "file/read markings" in Synaptic.

Answer 6

you want to reinstall the packages now there on 12.04 rite?

if so,its very easy.

1. Go to the Software Center and and see the option of SYNC BETWEEN COMPUTERS option under the file menu.

2. As you click on it you will see your computer registered and a list of all apps on your computer

3. When you will install fresh,that computer will be considered a new computer.

4. You just have to sign in in your ubuntu account and your previous computer will be shown.

5. Click on it,you'll get a list of all apps.Select install on the app you want to install.

PS:For this you need a "SINGLE SIGN ON UBUNTU ACCOUNT"(b4 reinstalling create it so that your pc is syncd)

Answer 7

To list all packages intentionally installed by apt commands, run the following :

( zcat $( ls -tr /var/log/apt/history.log*.gz ) ; cat /var/log/apt/history.log ) | egrep '^(Start-Date:|Commandline:)' | grep -v aptdaemon | egrep '^Commandline:'

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This provides a reverse time based view, with older commands listed first:

Commandline: apt-get install k3b
Commandline: apt-get install jhead

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Installation data also showing synaptic usage, but without details (the same with installation date) :

( zcat $( ls -tr /var/log/apt/history.log*.gz ) ; \
cat /var/log/apt/history.log ) | egrep '^(Start-Date:|Commandline:)' | grep -v aptdaemon | egrep -B1 '^Commandline:'

providing the following:

Start-Date: 2012-09-23  14:02:14
Commandline: apt-get install gparted
Start-Date: 2012-09-23  15:02:51
Commandline: apt-get install sysstat

Answer 8

To list all installed packages,

dpkg -l |awk '/^[hi]i/{print $2}' > 1.txt
or
aptitude search -F '%p' '~i' > 1.txt
or
dpkg --get-selections > 1.txt

Note:
You will get the result 1.txt file in your home folder.Or you can specify your own path.

Answer 9

dpkg-query (instead of dpkg --get-selections, which lists some packages that are not installed) as follows:

dpkg-query -W -f='${PackageSpec} ${Status}\n' | grep installed |  sort -u | cut -f1 -d \ > installed-pkgs

Or:

$ dpkg -l | grep ^ii | sed 's_  _\t_g' | cut -f 2 > installed-pkgs

Answer 10

I recommend using blueprint. Even though it is designed for servers, it can be also used from desktops as well. It will create a shell script/chef/puppet that you ca use to re-install all you packages.