What is the meaning of the following sentence regarding the difference between apt-get and apt?
The apt command is meant to be pleasant for end users and does not need to be backward compatible like apt-get(8).
What is the meaning of the following sentence regarding the difference between apt-get and apt?
The apt command is meant to be pleasant for end users and does not need to be backward compatible like apt-get(8).
It means that apt
and apt-get
have similar functionality, the difference being that apt
is intended to be used interactively whereas apt-get
is supposed to be used in scripts.
The behavior, effect and output of apt-get
are maintained unchanged (that's what "backward compatible" means), so that scripts can rely on them. apt
is more free to change with the times and may not function as expected if you run the same script sometime in the future.
Of course, nothing is stopping you from using apt-get
interactively. I do. Maybe apt
is easier to use interactively, but two commands are more difficult to learn then one command.
See also "What is the difference between apt
and apt-get
".
apt-get
. The difference is that apt-get
is guaranteed to remain compatible, that is, newer versions will not change their output or their behavior, whereas apt
is not -- newer versions may introduce changes. apt
also is supposed to be easier to use. Of course, in reality people who would benefit from apt
's supposed ease of use will prefer graphical utilities...