---
name: "apt-config"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "apt"
version: "3.3.5-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/apt-config"
---

# apt-config(8)

APT Configuration Query program

## NAME

apt-config - APT Configuration Query program

## SYNOPSIS

**apt-config** \[**--empty**\] \[**--format '***%f "%v";%n***'**\] \[**-o=***config\_string*\] \[**-c=***config\_file*\] {shell \| dump \| {-v \| --version} \| {-h \| --help}}

## DESCRIPTION

**apt-config** is an internal program used by various portions of the APT suite to provide consistent configurability. It accesses the main configuration file /etc/apt/apt.conf in a manner that is easy to use for scripted applications.

Unless the **-h**, or **--help** option is given, one of the commands below must be present.

**shell**

shell is used to access the configuration information from a shell script. It is given pairs of arguments, the first being a shell variable and the second the configuration value to query. As output it lists shell assignment commands for each value present. In a shell script it should be used as follows:

```
OPTS="-f"
RES=`apt-config shell OPTS MyApp::options`
eval $RES
```

This will set the shell environment variable $OPTS to the value of MyApp::options with a default of **-f**.

The configuration item may be postfixed with a /\[fdbi\]. f returns file names, d returns directories, b returns true or false and i returns an integer. Each of the returns is normalized and verified internally.

**dump**

Just show the contents of the configuration space.

## OPTIONS

All command line options may be set using the configuration file, the descriptions indicate the configuration option to set. For boolean options you can override the config file by using something like **-f-**,**--no-f**, **-f=no** or several other variations.

- **--empty**

  Include options which have an empty value. This is the default, so use --no-empty to remove them from the output.

**--format '***%f "%v";%n***'**

Defines the output of each config option. %t will be replaced with its individual name, %f with its full hierarchical name and %v with its value. Use uppercase letters and special characters in the value will be encoded to ensure that it can e.g. be safely used in a quoted-string as defined by RFC822. Additionally %n will be replaced by a newline, and %N by a tab. A % can be printed by using %%.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Show a short usage summary.

- **-v**, **--version**

  Show the program version.

- **--audit**

  Show audit (and notice) messages. This overrides the quiet option, but only for notice messages, not progress ones.

- **-c**, **--config-file**

  Configuration File; Specify a configuration file to use. The program will read the default configuration file and then this configuration file. If configuration settings need to be set before the default configuration files are parsed specify a file with the **APT\_CONFIG** environment variable. See [**apt.conf**(5)](/apt.conf/5.md) for syntax information.

- **-o**, **--option**

  Set a Configuration Option; This will set an arbitrary configuration option. The syntax is **-o Foo::Bar=bar**. **-o** and **--option** can be used multiple times to set different options.

- **--cli-version**

  Requests a specific CLI version. This is a pattern that takes a MAJOR.MINOR version. You may omit the MINOR version, in which case the latest supported minor level will be used.

  Version tracks are presented as follows: The version 3.2 has equivalent versions 0.32, 1.22, and 2.12, implementing new features for their specified major versions.

  A special case is the X.9 version pattern: A version like 2.9 is followed by 3.0, but 2.10 follows directly on 2.8; given that we use odd version numbers as development series (2.9 is the 3.0 development series).

  This feature has been introduced in APT 3.1.10, and replaces the binary-specific configuration. You may use the **APT::Version** to similar effect on older binaries, for example, use **-o APT::Version=2** to make [**apt**(8)](/apt/8.md) behave like the 2.x series.

  The default value is the current APT version for [**apt**(8)](/apt/8.md) and 0.(10 \* major + minor) for the classic commands. The 0.X series is soft-deprecated and the other commands will roll over to the 2.x series in the future.

- **--no-color**, **--color**

  Turn colors on or off. Colors are on by default on supported terminals for [**apt**(8)](/apt/8.md) and can also be disabled using the **NO\_COLOR** or **APT\_NO\_COLOR** environment variables, or further configured by the **APT::Color** configuration option and scope, see [**apt.conf**(5)](/apt.conf/5.md) for information on that.

## SEE ALSO

[**apt.conf**(5)](/apt.conf/5.md)

## DIAGNOSTICS

**apt-config** returns zero on normal operation, decimal 100 on error.

## BUGS

**APT bug page**\[1\]. If you wish to report a bug in APT, please see /usr/share/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt or the [**reportbug**(1)](/reportbug/1.md) command.

## AUTHORS

**Jason Gunthorpe**

**APT team**

## NOTES

- 1\.

  APT bug page

  https://bugs.debian.org/src:apt