Questions tagged [package-management]

Questions about the management of software packages, in particular the APT and dpkg systems. Use this tag for general questions about package management, and also for questions that cover or compare different packaging systems. For specific package tools, use their own specific tag (like apt, dpkg, snap etc.).

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65 votes
5 answers
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Can I purge configuration files after I've removed the package?

I was doing a package removal with apt-get remove but then realized I should have done a --purge along with it to remove the configuration files. Can I remove the packages configuration files easily ...
Jorge Castro's user avatar
  • 71.7k
65 votes
6 answers
83k views

Is `sudo pip install` still a broken practice?

I'm new to Ubuntu, so please bear with me. I installed pip using this command: sudo apt-get -y install python-pip. Then I installed NLTK using the command on their website, which was: sudo pip install ...
whatwhatwhat's user avatar
65 votes
5 answers
267k views

How can I find out if a specific program is installed? [duplicate]

I want to find out if a program - Chromium for example - is installed on Ubuntu or not. Manually or as a package. How do I know if a program is installed via command line?
Black Block's user avatar
  • 4,991
64 votes
10 answers
11k views

Why can't I update applications without upgrading the whole OS?

In Ubuntu, once a release is out the software one has installed receives security updates only. In Windows, I can get new versions of programs with new features. How can Windows do this and why can't ...
Nishant George Agrwal's user avatar
63 votes
3 answers
320k views

How do I enable the "multiverse" repository?

I keep seeing places refer to the "multiverse" repository as a place I can get software, how can I enable this repository? Please specify how to do this graphically and via command line.
Jorge Castro's user avatar
  • 71.7k
61 votes
1 answer
19k views

How to create a meta-package that automatically installs other packages?

I'd like to be able to create a package that doesnt contain any code or programs itself, but instead installs other packages that exist in the repositories onto a computer, sort of how the ubuntu-...
Thomas Ward's user avatar
  • 74.4k
60 votes
1 answer
53k views

What is the 'popularity-contest' package for?

I'm installing ubuntu server at the moment, and noticed it in the configuration phase. What does this package do, what is it for?
alexyorke's user avatar
  • 3,589
59 votes
6 answers
63k views

Is it possible to view the contents of a debian package? [duplicate]

I want to see the contents of a debian package, especially if the package is properly cleaning up whatever it installs. I want to also see how it goes about installing the software, what directories ...
Blankman's user avatar
  • 8,275
59 votes
9 answers
12k views

How can I check if a package is installed (no superuser privileges)?

At our university we can get almost any ubuntu package installed we want, but we are not superusers ourselves (we need to request packages being installed). With some libraries it is not always easy ...
Peter Smit's user avatar
  • 7,587
59 votes
3 answers
147k views

Installing multiple packages at the same time

How do I install multiple packages? For example, I want to install both package X and Package Y, I know that this is not possible by default but is there any alternate way of doing this or Can I ...
BeginnersSake's user avatar
59 votes
6 answers
55k views

How to install only the dependencies of a package?

Running sudo apt-get install <PACKAGE> will install the package, its dependencies, and any other recommended packages. However, there does not seem to be a way to install only the dependencies ...
Nathan Osman's user avatar
  • 32.1k
58 votes
8 answers
102k views

Getting 'Release is not valid yet' while updating ubuntu docker container

I am trying to update a ubuntu container with a dockerfile. RUN apt-get update -y But I am getting the below error. E: Release file for http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic-security/...
Shash's user avatar
  • 1,001
58 votes
3 answers
368k views

Install gcc on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

When I try to install gcc on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server with apt-get install gcc, I get the following error: The following packages have unmet dependencies: gcc : Depends: cpp (>= 4:4.6.1-2ubuntu5) ...
Brian M. Hunt's user avatar
58 votes
7 answers
128k views

How do I enable the "partner" repository?

I keep seeing places refer to the "partner" repository as a place I can get software, how can I enable this repository? Please specify how to do this graphically and via command line.
Jorge Castro's user avatar
  • 71.7k
58 votes
3 answers
129k views

Is it safe to use the command apt-get autoremove in this particular scenario?

The last time I used sudo apt-get autoremove, nearly every important display driver or parts got deleted. This made me very squeamish about using the command again. However, each time I install ...
Nkciy84's user avatar
  • 977
57 votes
3 answers
279k views

how to install packages with apt-get on a system connected via proxy?

I've got an Ubuntu 11.10 system connected via a proxy to the internet, and I would like to install packages via apt-get. When I try to do that I get this error message: sudo apt-get install libboost-...
719016's user avatar
  • 6,207
57 votes
1 answer
92k views

Unable to find expected entry 'main/binary-i386/Packages - Chrome [duplicate]

I recently noticed while installing some packages and using the command apt-get update that I ran into the following error: Failed to fetch http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/dists/stable/Release ...
Kalamalka Kid's user avatar
56 votes
6 answers
48k views

apt-get remove with wildcard removed way more than expected. why?

Last night I was trying to burn CDs. Being annoyed with k3b and choosing to use brasero instead, I went to remove k3b. I typed in: sudo apt-get remove k3b I hit tab twice and saw that I had both ...
Steve Goykovich's user avatar
56 votes
8 answers
28k views

How to see packages installed on a given date using 'aptitude'?

Does anyone know if there's an easy way to find a list of packages installed, sorted by date, when using aptitude (or apt-get)? I installed a bunch of packages to try something new, but it didn't ...
Mikeage's user avatar
  • 663
56 votes
5 answers
72k views

How to set up an APT repository?

I would like to set up an APT repository on a server that will provide a couple of packages. Is there a way to set one up without installing any software on the server? How do the files have to be ...
Nathan Osman's user avatar
  • 32.1k
56 votes
10 answers
47k views

How can I strip down Ubuntu?

I'm trying to fix what I consider a bloated install of Ubuntu. When I install Ubuntu on a machine, I get things that I don't want - web browsers, office applications, media players, accessibility ...
Thomas Owens's user avatar
55 votes
6 answers
130k views

Fix half-installed package

I am getting error while using sudo apt-get upgrade stating: dpkg: error processing libgfortran3:amd64 (--configure): package libgfortran3:amd64 is not ready for configuration cannot configure (...
Barun's user avatar
  • 725
55 votes
1 answer
31k views

Invalid signature from repo.skype.com: how can I clear this? [duplicate]

Today I did sudo apt upgrade and then, as a double-check, did sudo apt update. The latter terminated with: Hit:5 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable InRelease ...
James E Keenan's user avatar
54 votes
2 answers
300k views

Can't install php5 on Ubuntu 16.04

so I've recently installed my first Ubuntu, to be precise, a daily build of 16.04, on my new laptop since the hardware was to new for 15.10. Now I'm in the process of setting it up and I want to ...
user529857's user avatar
54 votes
1 answer
23k views

What exact purpose do transitional packages have?

What are transitional packages and what exact purpose do they have?
NES's user avatar
  • 33.2k
53 votes
6 answers
147k views

How to remove an uninstalled package's dependencies?

I want to install a package (DigiKam), but it has a lot of dependencies. If I decide I no longer need this software and uninstall it, will the now unnessary dependencies be removed? If not, how can I ...
jfoucher's user avatar
  • 23.5k
52 votes
5 answers
127k views

Unable to locate package lib32bz2-1.0

I am trying to install Simplicity studio on Ubuntu 15.04 (64-bit) and I get this error E: Unable to locate package lib32bz2-1.0 E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'lib32bz2-1.0' I tried to ...
Rao's user avatar
  • 623
51 votes
4 answers
192k views

16.04 Cannot install anything from Ubuntu Software center [duplicate]

Whenever I double click a deb file, it'd be opened in software center. However, when I click "install" button, it'd change to "installing" for a second but then turn back to "install" and nothing ...
aaa's user avatar
  • 2,624
51 votes
1 answer
26k views

Should I use tasksel, tasks in APT or install regular metapackages?

Tasksel or plain Apt? In the past I've always used tasksel to install so-called "tasks". It seems, however, that this has been integrated in APT: apt-cache dumpavail | grep ^Task [...] snip Task: ...
gertvdijk's user avatar
  • 67.9k
50 votes
6 answers
70k views

How to disable multiarch support?

I don't want to install any i386 package. Is there any way to disable functionality?
user avatar
50 votes
4 answers
103k views

What package do I need to build a Qt 5 & CMake application?

I'm trying to build sdrangelove, which wants Qt 5 and uses CMake for its build system, on Ubuntu 13.10. What package do I need to install to give it the file it's asking for here? There are a lot of *...
Kevin Reid's user avatar
  • 1,150
50 votes
4 answers
315k views

Where are my installed applications? [duplicate]

I have installed Skype in Ubuntu, but I do not know where to start the installed the Skype application .Similarly I have installed Netbeans and other applications but their icons are not appearing in ...
Hemanth's user avatar
  • 1,045
50 votes
4 answers
57k views

What is nss-myhostname? And why is it not installable?

dmesg shows the line systemd-hostnamed[3964]: Warning: nss-myhostname is not installed. Changing the local hostname might make it unresolveable. Please install nss-myhostname! But sudo apt-get ...
user272632's user avatar
49 votes
6 answers
40k views

Finding out what package a command came from [duplicate]

Is there a generalised way to find out what package caused the installation of a command?
oadams's user avatar
  • 1,301
49 votes
7 answers
32k views

How do I list installed software with the installed size?

I would like to have a list of the installed software on my machine, with the disk space consumed by them alongside. I would prefer to be able to order by largest/smallest, but that is not a necessity....
Lewis Goddard's user avatar
48 votes
3 answers
149k views

How can I find Boost version?

I just want to know how I can find the version of boost installed in my ubuntu 12.04? I am having trouble with the current precise and thinking of reverting back to 8.04. What is the boost version in ...
paul's user avatar
  • 481
48 votes
3 answers
97k views

How do I enable the "backports" repository?

How to enable the backports repository so I can get newer versions of software?
Luis Alvarado's user avatar
47 votes
2 answers
72k views

How to remove package in bad state, software center freezes, no synaptic

When 'Update Manager' starts running, it tells me that I need to do a 'Partial Upgrade', when I start doing the upgrade, it tells me Remove package in bad state The package 'linux-headers-3.0.0-19'...
GothicMonster's user avatar
46 votes
6 answers
77k views

How to remove all i386 packages from Ubuntu 64bit?

Over the time I installed many i386 packages, which I no longer need. How can I clean up the system and stay only with the amd64 packages?
yossile's user avatar
  • 5,708
46 votes
5 answers
45k views

How to purge previously only removed packages? [duplicate]

I have a list of packages on my system, that were installed and removed again, but not purged, i.e. there are still a lot of conffiles etc. laying around. The output of dpkg --get-selections | grep ...
Byte Commander's user avatar
  • 107k
46 votes
9 answers
300k views

Ubuntu boots on terminal only, how do I recover the GUI desktop?

Where is my Ubuntu desktop? Its booting and going always default to terminal screen, if i press Ctrl+Alt+F7 still in terminal Ctrl+Alt+F1 still in terminal. No GUI, how do I recover it? EDIT: sun@...
user avatar
46 votes
5 answers
57k views

Find (and reinstall) packages with corrupted files (without breaking anything)

I usually prefer to fix a Linux system than to reinstall from scratch. My computers have seen many distribution upgrades and a list of PPAs or third-party repositories. APT usually makes sure that ...
Jan's user avatar
  • 3,598
46 votes
4 answers
40k views

Can't clean a full /boot because of unmet dependencies

I got an error message explaining my /boot is full. trying to clean up old image files always seems to fail because of disk full errors or dependency errors. Could someone explain where I’m going ...
Philip Howard's user avatar
46 votes
3 answers
6k views

I installed a program by getting its source code, and then running `sudo make install`; how to make `apt-get` know about it?

I installed program (call it, for example,progA) by building it from source code, and then finally calling sudo make install and sudo ldconfig. However, it seems apt-get hasn't gotten the memo, ...
user avatar
46 votes
5 answers
77k views

curl is not working on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

I can't fetch content from the web using `curl. I tried to install it and got the output below: Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have requested an impossible situation or ...
Joseph-L-S's user avatar
  • 1,053
46 votes
2 answers
17k views

How can I stop apt from installing snap packages?

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser for some reason installs not a proper apt-get package but is installing the chromium snap. I am aware that blocking such installs will not magically establish a ...
reducing activity's user avatar
46 votes
1 answer
3k views

What is Ubuntu's policy on keeping old kernels

I've just run out of disk space on /. Looking into the situation I realised that since first installing 12.04, Ubuntu has upgraded the kernel ~23 times and has kept every old kernel, binaries and ...
artfulrobot's user avatar
  • 8,543
46 votes
2 answers
13k views

list.save and list.distUpgrade

This is more of a curiosity question as I try to get a better understanding of apt and package management. I'm seeing that in my /etc/apt/ and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ folders I have very or ...
cluelesscoder's user avatar
45 votes
2 answers
31k views

Restoring all data and dependencies from dpkg --set-selections '*'

So I can run on one machine: dpkg --get-selections '*' > selection.txt On another machine: dpkg --set-selections < selection.txt ... followed by either of the following: aptitude install ...
0xC0000022L's user avatar
  • 5,720
44 votes
10 answers
146k views

Apt-get fails on 16.04 or 18.04 installing mongodb

When I attempt to install mongodb using the instructions on https://docs.mongodb.com/getting-started/shell/tutorial/install-mongodb-on-ubuntu/ on 16.04 I get the following result on the install step: ...
Jonathan's user avatar
  • 1,260