Linux Package Management Cheatsheet

Package management is a crucial part of administering a Linux system. Different distributions use different package managers, each with its own commands. Here’s a quick reference for the most commonly used package management tools across popular distributions.

Table of Contents

Debian-based (APT – Advanced Packaging Tool)

Distributions: Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS

Task	Command
Update package lists	`sudo apt update`
Upgrade installed packages	`sudo apt upgrade`
Install a package	`sudo apt install <package>`
Remove a package	`sudo apt remove <package>`
Remove unnecessary dependencies	`sudo apt autoremove`
Search for a package	`apt search <package>`
Show package info	`apt show <package>`
List installed packages	`dpkg -l`

RPM-based (DNF/YUM)

Distributions: Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux

Task	DNF Command	YUM Command
Update package lists	`sudo dnf check-update`	`sudo yum check-update`
Upgrade installed packages	`sudo dnf upgrade`	`sudo yum update`
Install a package	`sudo dnf install <package>`	`sudo yum install <package>`
Remove a package	`sudo dnf remove <package>`	`sudo yum remove <package>`
Remove unused dependencies	`sudo dnf autoremove`	`sudo yum autoremove`
Search for a package	`dnf search <package>`	`yum search <package>`
Show package info	`dnf info <package>`	`yum info <package>`
List installed packages	`dnf list installed`	`yum list installed`

Arch-based (Pacman)

Distributions: Arch Linux, Manjaro, EndeavourOS

Task	Command
Update package lists and system	`sudo pacman -Syu`
Install a package	`sudo pacman -S <package>`
Remove a package	`sudo pacman -R <package>`
Remove package and dependencies	`sudo pacman -Rns <package>`
Search for a package	`pacman -Ss <package>`
Show package info	`pacman -Si <package>`
List installed packages	`pacman -Qe`

openSUSE (Zypper)

Distributions: openSUSE Leap, openSUSE Tumbleweed

Task	Command
Refresh repositories	`sudo zypper refresh`
Upgrade installed packages	`sudo zypper update`
Install a package	`sudo zypper install <package>`
Remove a package	`sudo zypper remove <package>`
Search for a package	`zypper search <package>`
Show package info	`zypper info <package>`
List installed packages	`zypper se --installed-only`

Gentoo (Portage – emerge)

Distributions: Gentoo

Task	Command
Sync repositories	`sudo emerge --sync`
Update installed packages	`sudo emerge -uD @world`
Install a package	`sudo emerge <package>`
Remove a package	`sudo emerge --deselect <package>`
Search for a package	`emerge --search <package>`
Show package info	`emerge --info <package>`
List installed packages	`equery list`

Slackware (pkgtools, slapt-get, sbopkg)

Distributions: Slackware

Task	Command
Install a package	`installpkg <package>.txz`
Remove a package	`removepkg <package>`
Upgrade a package	`upgradepkg <package>.txz`
Search for a package	`slapt-get --search <package>`
Install from SlackBuilds	`sbopkg -i <package>`

Other Package Managers

Flatpak: flatpak install <package> (Universal package format for Linux)
Snap: snap install <package> (Canonical’s universal package manager)
AppImage: Run with ./<AppImageFile> (No installation needed)

This cheatsheet provides essential commands for managing packages across various Linux distributions. Whether you use Debian-based, RPM-based, Arch, or others, knowing the right commands makes Linux administration more efficient!

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