apt/doc/apt.8.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no"?>
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  "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
<!ENTITY % aptent SYSTEM "apt.ent"> %aptent;
<!ENTITY % aptverbatiment SYSTEM "apt-verbatim.ent"> %aptverbatiment;
<!ENTITY % aptvendor SYSTEM "apt-vendor.ent"> %aptvendor;
]>

<refentry>

 <refentryinfo>
   &apt-author.team;
   &apt-email;
   &apt-product;
   <!-- The last update date -->
   <date>2013-11-25T00:00:00Z</date>
 </refentryinfo>
 
 <refmeta>
   <refentrytitle>apt</refentrytitle>
   <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
   <refmiscinfo class="manual">APT</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>
 
 <!-- Man page title -->
 <refnamediv>
    <refname>apt</refname>
    <refpurpose>command-line interface</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 &synopsis-command-apt;

 <refsect1><title>Description</title>
   <para><command>apt</command> (Advanced Package Tool) is the
   command-line tool for handling packages. It provides a commandline
   interface for the package management of the system.

   See also &apt-get; and &apt-cache; for more low-level command options.
   </para>

   <variablelist>
     <varlistentry><term><option>list</option></term>
     <listitem><para><literal>list</literal> is used to
     display a list of packages. It supports shell pattern for matching 
     package names and the following options:
       <option>--installed</option>, 
       <option>--upgradable</option>,
       <option>--upgradeable</option>,
       <option>--all-versions</option>
     are supported.
     </para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>
     
     <varlistentry><term><option>search</option></term>
     <listitem><para><literal>search</literal> searches for the given
     term(s) and display matching packages.
     </para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry><term><option>show</option></term>
     <listitem><para><literal>show</literal> shows the package information
     for the given package(s).
     </para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry><term><option>install</option></term>
     <listitem>
	 <para><literal>install</literal> is followed by one or more 
	 package names desired for installation or upgrading. 
	 </para>

     <para>A specific version of a package can be selected for installation by 
     following the package name with an equals and the version of the package 
     to select. This will cause that version to be located and selected for
     install. Alternatively a specific distribution can be selected by 
     following the package name with a slash and the version of the 
     distribution or the Archive name (stable, testing, unstable).</para>
     </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry><term><option>remove</option></term>
     <listitem><para><literal>remove</literal> is identical to <literal>install</literal> except that packages are 
	 removed instead of installed. Note that removing a package leaves its
	 configuration files on the system. If a plus sign is appended to the package 
     name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be 
     installed instead of removed.</para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry><term><option>edit-sources</option></term>
     <listitem><para><literal>edit-sources</literal> lets you edit
     your sources.list file and provides basic sanity checks.
     </para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry><term><option>update</option></term>
     <listitem><para><literal>update</literal> is used to
     resynchronize the package index files from their sources.
     </para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>
     
     <varlistentry><term><option>upgrade</option></term>
     <listitem><para><literal>upgrade</literal> is used to install the
     newest versions of all packages currently installed on the system
     from the sources enumerated in
     <filename>/etc/apt/sources.list</filename>. New packages will be
     installed, but existing packages will never be removed.
     </para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry><term><option>full-upgrade</option></term>
     <listitem><para><literal>full-upgrade</literal> performs the
     function of upgrade but may also remove installed packages
     if that is required in order to resolve a package conflict.
     </para></listitem>
     </varlistentry>


   </variablelist>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1><title>options</title>
   &apt-cmdblurb;

   <variablelist>

     &apt-commonoptions;
     
   </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1><title>Script usage</title>
  <para>
   The &apt; commandline is designed as a end-user tool and it may
   change the output between versions. While it tries to not break
   backward compatibility there is no guarantee for it either.
   All features of &apt; are available in  &apt-cache; and &apt-get;
   via APT options. Please prefer using these commands in your scripts.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1><title>Differences to &apt-get;</title>
 <para>The <command>apt</command> command is meant to be pleasant for
 end users and does not need to be backward compatible like
 &apt-get;. Therefore some options are different:
 
 <itemizedlist>
   <listitem>
     <para>The option <literal>DPkg::Progress-Fancy</literal> is enabled.
     </para>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
     <para>The option <literal>APT::Color</literal> is enabled.
     </para>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
     <para>A new <literal>list</literal> command is available
     similar to <literal>dpkg --list</literal>.
     </para>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
     <para>The option <literal>upgrade</literal> has
     <literal>--with-new-pkgs</literal> enabled by default.
     </para>
   </listitem>

 </itemizedlist>
 </para>

 </refsect1>

 <refsect1><title>See Also</title>
   <para>&apt-get;, &apt-cache;, &sources-list;,
   &apt-conf;, &apt-config;, 
   The APT User's guide in &guidesdir;, &apt-preferences;, the APT Howto.</para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1><title>Diagnostics</title>
   <para><command>apt</command> returns zero on normal operation, decimal 100 on error.</para>
 </refsect1>
 &manbugs;
</refentry>