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

# apt-sortpkgs(1)

Utility to sort package index files

## NAME

apt-sortpkgs - Utility to sort package index files

## SYNOPSIS

**apt-sortpkgs** \[**-s**\] \[**-o=***config\_string*\] \[**-c=***config\_file*\] *filename*... {-v \| --version} {-h \| --help}

## DESCRIPTION

**apt-sortpkgs** will take an index file (source index or package index) and sort the records so that they are ordered by the package name. It will also sort the internal fields of each record according to the internal sorting rules.

All output is sent to standard output; the input must be a seekable file.

## 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.

- **-s**, **--source**

  Use source index field ordering. Configuration Item: APT::SortPkgs::Source.

- **-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-sortpkgs** 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