--- name: "aptitude" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "aptitude" version: "0.2.11.1-4" release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/aptitude" --- # aptitude(1) high-level interface to the package manager. ## NAME aptitude - high-level interface to the package manager. ## SYNOPSIS **aptitude \[ -S** *fname* **\] \[ -u \| -i \]** **aptitude \[** *options* **\] \[ update \| upgrade \| forget-new \| clean \| autoclean \]** **aptitude \[** *options* **\] \[ remove \| hold \| purge \| markauto \| unmarkauto \| dist-upgrade \] packages...** **aptitude \[** *options* **\] search patterns...** **aptitude \[** *options* **\] download packages...** ## DESCRIPTION **aptitude** is a text-based interface to the Debian GNU/Linux package system. It allows the user to view the list of packages and to perform package management tasks such as installing, upgrading, and removing packages. Actions may be performed from an "interactive mode" or from the command-line. ## COMMAND-LINE ACTIONS The first argument which does not begin with a hyphen ("-") is considered to be an action that the program should perform. If an action is not specified on the command-line, aptitude will start up in interactive mode. The following actions are available: - **install** Install one or more packages. The packages should be listed after the "install" command; if a package name contains a '~', it will be treated as a search pattern and every package matching the pattern will be installed. (see "SEARCHING, etc" in **/usr/share/doc/aptitude/README**) Appending "-", "+", "\_", or "=" to the name of a package will cause the package to be removed, installed, purged, or held respectively. This can be used, for instance, to perform multiple actions from one command line. As a special case, "install" with no arguments will act on any stored/pending actions. NOTE: The "install" command will modify aptitude's stored information about what actions to perform. Therefore, if you issue the command "aptitude install foo bar" and then abort the installation, you will need to (eg) run "aptitude remove foo bar" to cancel that order. - **remove, purge, hold** These commands are the same as "install", but apply the named action to all packages unless specified otherwise. (for instance, "aptitude remove '~ndeity'" will remove all packages whose name contains "deity") - **markauto, unmarkauto** Mark packages as automatically installed or manually installed, respectively. You may specify packages using the same syntax as before, including specifying actions to be performed. For instance, "aptitude markauto '~slibs'" will mark all packages in the "libs" section as automatically installed. - **update** Update the list of available packages from the master servers. (this is equivalent to "apt-get update") - **upgrade** Upgrades installed packages to their most recent version. Installed packages will not be removed unless they are unused; packages which are not currently installed will not be installed. If a package cannot be upgraded without violating these constraints, it will be kept back. - **forget-new** Forgets which packages are "new" (equivalent to pressing "f" in interactive mode) - **search** Searches for packages matching one or more expressions. The expressions should be listed after the "search" command. All packages matching the given expressions will be displayed. As usual, this may be a full search expression; for instance, "aptitude search '~N'" will list all "new" packages. Search expressions are explained in detail in **/usr/share/doc/aptitude/README**. - **clean** Removes all downloaded and cached packages. - **autoclean** Removes any cached packages which are no longer downloadable. - **download** Downloads the .deb file for the most recent version of the given package to the current directory. The following hyphened arguments function as actions for the interactive mode of the program; however, they are only used internally. Generally, you shouldn't need to set these yourself. - **-S *fname*** Loads the extended state information from *fname*. - **-u** Begins updating the package lists when the program starts. You cannot use this option and **-i** at the same time. - **-i** Displays a download screen when the program starts (equivalent to starting the program and then pressing 'g') You cannot use this option and **-u** at the same time. ## OPTIONS The following options may be specified to modify the behavior of the above commands. Note that not every command will pay attention to every option (indeed; many options are nonsensical for one or more commands) Many of these options have an associated configuration file directive; placing this directive in /etc/apt/apt.conf or ~/.aptitude/config will cause aptitude to always act as if the option had been provided. - **-h, --help** Display a brief help message. - **--version** Display the version of aptitude and some information about its compilation environment. - **-s, --simulate** Print the actions that would be performed, but don't actually perform them. This does not require root privileges. Configuration Item: Aptitude::CmdLine::Simulate. - **-d, --download-only** Do not install or remove any packages; only download them. Configuration Item: Aptitude::CmdLine::Download-Only - **-P, --prompt** Always display a prompt, even if no additional actions are to be undertaken. Configuration Item: Aptitude::CmdLine::Always-Prompt - **-y, --assume-yes** Assume "yes" as an answer to yes/no prompts. This does not affect the prompting for particularly dangerous actions, such as removing Essential packages. Overrides -P. Configuration Item: Aptitude::CmdLine::Assume-Yes - **-F *format*, --display-format *format*** Specify the format which should be used to display output from the **search** command. For instance, '%p %V %v' will display a package's name, followed by its currently installed version and its available version. (see the section "COLUMNS" in the user's manual for more information) Configuration Item: Aptitude::CmdLine::Package-Display-Format - **-w *width*, --width *width*** Specify the display width which should be used for output from the **search** command. (by default, the terminal width is used) Configuration Item: Aptitude::CmdLine::Package-Display-Width - **-f** Aggressively try to fix dependencies of broken packages. Configuration Item: Aptitude::CmdLine::Fix-Broken - **--with-recommends, --with-suggests** Treat recommends or suggests, respectively, as dependencies when installing new packages. (this overrides settings in /etc/apt/apt.conf and ~/.aptitude/config) Configuration Item: Aptitude::Recommends-Important - **--without-recommends, --without-suggests** Do not treat recommends or suggests, respectively, as dependencies when installing packages. Configuration Item: Aptitude::Suggests-Important ## INTERACTIVE USAGE In interactive mode, aptitude makes the following keys and commands available: - **q** Quit the current context, saving changes. - **x** Quit the current context, discarding changes. - **?** Display an online help screen. - **Up, j** Move the selection one item up. - **Down, k** Move the selection one item down. - **^** Move the selection to the parent of the current item. - **Enter** Expand or collapse a group of packages. - **\[** Expand an entire tree of packages. - **\]** Collapse an entire tree of packages. - **Enter, i** Display information about a package. - **+** Cancel a package's removal, or request that it be installed or upgraded. - **-** Cancel the installation of a package, or request that it be removed. - **=** Place a package on hold (or remove the "hold" property on non-upgradable held packages). - **\_** Request that a package and all its conffiles be removed ("purge"). - **u** Update the lists of available packages. - **g** Perform all pending installations, removals, and upgrades. - **Control-u** Undo the last action or set of actions. - **/** Perform a search - **n** Repeat the last search - **v** Show the available versions of a package ## SEE ALSO **apt-get**(1), [**apt**(8)](/apt/8.md), **/usr/share/doc/aptitude/README**. ## AUTHOR This manual page was written by Daniel Burrows \.