YSK/PSA: If you’re on Mint, Mint’s apt is not Debian’s apt and while they work similarly for common use cases, they diverge pretty quickly beyond that. Both are installed by default but Mint’s takes precedence.*
Case in point: I was looking for which package - specifically one that was not yet installed - contains a certain command line tool and Mint’s apt search does not find it. Debian’s does. **
On the other hand, Mint’s apt has way more subcommands than the default one, which have been useful on occasion.
* Mint’s is at /usr/local/bin/apt and Debian’s is at /usr/bin/apt; The default user $PATH puts /usr/local/bin before /usr/bin.
** FWIW, the tool is/was sponge and it’s in the moreutils package.
Disclaimer: while aptitude was originally designed to replicate the apt CLI interface, I have never run the search command through it. The TUI is marvelous, though.
Nowadays apt supports deleting dangling config files with apt purge "~c" so no need to have aptitude for that feature. However, aptitude why <package> is pretty handy, and if you bump into dependency problems aptitude is quite capable of suggesting valid solutions.
Dude/dudesse, what the hell is this and why have I never heard of it? Sounds really useful on the manpage, I hope I remember it next time I need it. Thanks! 😊
I need to have aptitude because the TUI is boss. Even if it had less features than apt, I’d still prefer it. It’s nice to know it’s ahead of the curve, though.
YSK/PSA: If you’re on Mint, Mint’s
aptis not Debian’saptand while they work similarly for common use cases, they diverge pretty quickly beyond that. Both are installed by default but Mint’s takes precedence.*Case in point: I was looking for which package - specifically one that was not yet installed - contains a certain command line tool and Mint’s
apt searchdoes not find it. Debian’s does. **On the other hand, Mint’s
apthas way more subcommands than the default one, which have been useful on occasion.* Mint’s is at
/usr/local/bin/aptand Debian’s is at/usr/bin/apt; The default user$PATHputs/usr/local/binbefore/usr/bin.** FWIW, the tool is/was
spongeand it’s in themoreutilspackage.Just use aptitude and be happy.
Disclaimer: while aptitude was originally designed to replicate the apt CLI interface, I have never run the search command through it. The TUI is marvelous, though.
Nowadays apt supports deleting dangling config files with
apt purge "~c"so no need to have aptitude for that feature. However,aptitude why <package>is pretty handy, and if you bump into dependency problems aptitude is quite capable of suggesting valid solutions.Disclaimer: I’ve never used aptitude’s TUI.
Dude/dudesse, what the hell is this and why have I never heard of it? Sounds really useful on the manpage, I hope I remember it next time I need it. Thanks! 😊
I need to have aptitude because the TUI is boss. Even if it had less features than apt, I’d still prefer it. It’s nice to know it’s ahead of the curve, though.