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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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>

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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!