go-highlite/test_inputs/1.markdown

%title: a crash course on handling deb packages %author: jesse portnoy jesse@packman.io %date: 2023-07-11

---

topics covered in this course

• what is a deb package?
• what is dpkg?
• what is apt?
• the apt util
• apt-get
• apt-cache
• apt-file
• fetching and installing packages
• install vs. upgrade
• non-interactive operations
• a note on dependencies
• package dependencies & relationships
• querying the local packages db
• querying remote repos
• configuration operations
• downloading & building packages from source
• automating the installation of packages that require inputs
• removing packages
• thanks & final note

#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
    return 0;
}

<?php
phpinfo();
echo "Hello World\n";
var 7 = 1;
?>

---

What is a deb package?

deb is the format, as well as filename extension of the software package format for the Debian Linux distribution and its derivatives. Debian packages are standard UNIX ar archives that include two tar archives. One archive holds the control information and another contains the installable data.

What is dpkg?

dpkg is a tool to install, build, remove and manage Debian packages.

dpkg is controlled entirely via command line parameters, which consist of exactly one action and zero or more options. The action parameter tells dpkg what to do and options control the behavior of the action in some way.

dpkg maintains some usable information about available packages. The information is divided in three classes: states, selection states and flags.

What is APT?

Advanced Package Tool, or APT, is a free-software user interface that works with core libraries to handle the installation and removal of software on Debian, and Debian-based Linux distributions. APT simplifies the process of managing software by automating the retrieval, configuration and installation of software packages.

In the next slide, we'll review some important APT utils and their respective functionality.