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I wonder is there a website for apt packages similar to https://www.npmjs.com/ where I can read description of all available packages?

I read some manuals how to install some software and it's written there to run sudo apt install something, but I have no idea what that something is needed for. How can I get that information?

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  • The question is generic, so you are likely to get generic answers. Sometimes you will find the package descriptions useful to determine what something "is needed for"...but sometime you won't.
    – user535733
    May 8, 2021 at 13:10
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    I like to install synaptic and then I can search from wtihin it. Once I have learned package names I then later with newer install can use terminal or my install script to update a new install. sudo apt install synaptic.
    – oldfred
    May 8, 2021 at 13:38
  • Does this answer your question? How can I find the name of a Package?
    – mook765
    May 8, 2021 at 16:09
  • @mook765 no, that question is quite specific. My question is more general, and I wanted to know "how it all works".
    – RussCoder
    May 9, 2021 at 12:57
  • @user535733 you are right - I want generic answers, from which I can get to know about something that I do not suspect about. E.g. I haven't asked about apt show, but it seems that the website doesn't contain any descriptions at all, but this command is rather handy.
    – RussCoder
    May 9, 2021 at 13:06

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Website

Yes, there is one. http://packages.ubuntu.com

You can search for packages for all supported versions of Ubuntu. For example, to quickly search for the package gimp, you can go to http://packages.ubuntu.com/gimp

Directly using apt

Alternatively, you can search from the package in apt itself.

apt search something shows all packages which has something in its name and description.

apt show exact-packagename-of-something shows all details (description, dependencies, recommended packages, name of the packager) of the package.

Manual pages

As mentioned in the comment by @codlord, you can go to http://manpages.ubuntu.com/ to search for manual pages (user guides) for any package.

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    Also, see manpages.ubuntu.com for searching manual pages of some packages if you want to see more details or exactly what something does before installing it.
    – codlord
    May 8, 2021 at 13:06

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