Debian

Package manager

Configuration

Use APT with a proxy:

  cat <<- 'EOF' >> /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/01proxy
  Acquire::ftp::Proxy "http://yourproxyaddress:proxyport";
  Acquire::http::Proxy "http://yourproxyaddress:proxyport";
  Acquire::https::Proxy "http://yourproxyaddress:proxyport";
  EOF

Mark packages

Show automatically installed packages:
```
  apt-mark showauto
```
Mark package ‘pkg’ as automatically installed:
```
  apt-mark auto <pkg>
```
Show held back packages:
```
  apt-mark showhold
```
Mark package ‘pkg’ as held back:
```
  apt-mark hold <pkg>
```

Search

Search packages whose name and description contains ‘string’:
```
  apt search <string>
```
or:
```
  apt-cache search <string>
```

Search packages whose name contains ‘string’:

  apt search --names-only '<string>'

or:

  apt-cache search --names-only '<string>'

Search packages whose name contains ‘pattern’:
```
  apt list <pattern>
```
Search packages that contain ‘file’:
```
  apt-file search <file>
```

Information

Show information about package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt show <pkg>
```
or:
```
  apt-cache show <pkg>
```
See which source package creates a specific binary package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt showsrc <pkg>
```
or:
```
  apt-cache showsrc <pkg>
```

Show maintainer of package ‘pkg’:

  dpkg-query -W -f='${Maintainer}' <pkg>

Show upstream homepage of package ‘pkg’:
```
  dpkg-query -W -f='${Homepage}' <pkg>
```

Show packages from contrib or non-free section:

  dpkg-query -W -f='${Section}\t${Package}\n' | grep -E '^contrib|^non-free'

or:

  aptitude search '~i ?section(non-free)'

Show packages from backports:
```
  dpkg-query -W | grep '~bpo'
```

Versions

Get information about version candidates for package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt policy <pkg>
```
or:
```
  apt-cache policy <pkg>
```
Get information about available versions of package ‘pkg’:
```
  rmadison -a amd64 <pkg>
```
or:
```
  apt-cache madison <pkg>
```
See installed version of package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt-show-versions -p <pkg>
```
See all available versions of package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt-show-versions -a -p <pkg>
```

Handle binary packages

Package commands

List installed packages:
```
  dpkg -l
```
List installed packages that match ‘string’:
```
  dpkg -l <string>
```
List of files in package ‘pkg.deb’:
```
  dpkg -c <pkg.deb>
```
Unpack package ‘pkg.deb’:
```
  dpkg --unpack <pkg.deb>
```
Install package ‘pkg.deb’:
```
  dpkg -i <pkg.deb>
```
Uninstall package ‘pkg’:
```
  dpkg -r <pkg>
```
Purge package ‘pkg’:
```
  dpkg -P <pkg>
```
See status of a specific package:
```
  dpkg -s <pkg>
```
Get name of installed package that contains ‘file’:
```
  dpkg -S <file>
```
List files of installed package ‘pkg’:
```
  dpkg -L <pkg>
```
List files of uninstalled package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt-file list <pkg>
```
List files inside package ‘pkg.deb’:
```
  dpkg -c <pkg.deb>
```

Repository commands

Update list of available packages:
```
  apt update
```
or:
```
  apt-get update
```
List upgradable packages:
```
  apt list --upgradable
```
Update packages with newer versions (only installed):
```
  apt upgrade
```
or:
```
  apt-get upgrade
```
Update packages with newer versions (handles changes in dependencies):
```
  apt full-upgrade
```
or:
```
  apt-get dist-upgrade
```
Uninstall unnecessary packages:
```
  apt autoremove
```
or:
```
  apt-get autoremove
```

Purge unnecessary packages:

  apt autoremove --purge

or:

  apt-get autoremove --purge

Install package ‘pkg’:

  apt install <pkg>

or:

  apt-get install <pkg>

Reinstall package ‘pkg’:

  apt install --reinstall <pkg>

or:

  apt-get install --reinstall <pkg>

Download package ‘pkg’ without installing it:

  apt install --download-only <pkg>

or:

  apt-get install --download-only <pkg>

Download package ‘pkg’ to current directory:
```
  apt download <pkg>
```
or:
```
  apt-get download <pkg>
```

Uninstall package ‘pkg’:

  apt remove <pkg>

or:

  apt-get remove <pkg>

Purge package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt purge <pkg>
```
or:
```
  apt-get purge <pkg>
```

Fix broken dependencies (after installing with dpkg -i):

  apt install --fix-broken

or:

  apt-get install --fix-broken

Install package ‘pkg’ from a specific release:

  apt install <pkg>/jessie-backports

or:

  apt-get install <pkg>/jessie-backports

Install a specific version of package ‘pkg’:

  apt install <pkg>=1.0

or:

  apt-get install <pkg>=1.0

Remove downloaded packages from cache:
```
  apt clean
```
or:
```
  apt-get clean
```
Remove only outdated packages from cache:
```
  apt autoclean
```
or:
```
  apt-get autoclean
```

Configure automatic security updates:

  dpkg-reconfigure --priority=low unattended-upgrades

Build from source

Repository packages

Update list of available source packages:
```
  apt-build update
```
Build and install package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt-build install <pkg>
```
Rebuild and reinstall package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt-build install --reinstall <pkg>
```
Uninstall package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt-build remove <pkg>
```
Purge package ‘pkg’:
```
  apt-build remove --purge <pkg>
```
Build and update packages with newer versions:
```
  apt-build upgrade
```
Build and reinstall whole system:
```
  apt-build world
```
Remove built packages
```
  apt-build clean-build
```

Backports

Get source for package ‘pkg’:

  apt source <pkg>/sid

or:

  apt-get source <pkg>/sid

Get source for package ‘pkg’ using dsc file:

  dget -x http://ftp.debian.org/debian/pool/main/p/<pkg>_<version>.dsc

Clean way to backport package ‘pkg’ from sid to current release:

  cd <pkg>-<version>
  mk-build-deps --install --remove
  dch --bpo ''
  debuild -us -uc
  dpkg -i ../<pkg>.deb

Dirty way to backport package ‘pkg’ from sid to current release:

  apt build-dep <pkg>/sid
  apt source --compile <pkg>/sid
  dpkg -i <pkg>.deb

Patch official packages

Set up quilt by adding these to ~/.bashrc:

  alias dquilt="quilt --quiltrc=${HOME}/.quiltrc-dpkg"
  complete -F _quilt_completion -o filenames dquilt

Create the file ~/.quiltrc-dpkg with these:

  d=. ; while [ ! -d $d/debian -a `readlink -e $d` != / ]; do d=$d/..; done
  if [ -d $d/debian ] && [ -z $QUILT_PATCHES ]; then
      # if in Debian packaging tree with unset $QUILT_PATCHES
      QUILT_PATCHES="debian/patches"
      QUILT_PATCH_OPTS="--reject-format=unified"
      QUILT_DIFF_ARGS="-p ab --no-timestamps --no-index --color=auto"
      QUILT_REFRESH_ARGS="-p ab --no-timestamps --no-index"
      QUILT_COLORS="diff_hdr=1;32:diff_add=1;34:diff_rem=1;31:diff_hunk=1;33:diff_ctx=35:diff_cctx=33"
      if ! [ -d $d/debian/patches ]; then mkdir $d/debian/patches; fi
  fi

Get source for package ‘pkg’:

  apt source <pkg> && cd <pkg>-<version>

Install build dependencies:
```
  mk-build-deps --install --remove
```

Move patch <file.patch> into the appropriate directory:

  mv file.patch debian/patches/
  echo 'file.patch' >> debian/patches/series

Refresh the patch:
```
  quilt push
  quilt refresh
```
Update changelog:
```
  dch -n "Apply patch file.patch"
```
Build package:
```
  debuild -us -uc
```

Ubuntu PPAs

Add Ubuntu PPA repository with sources:

  add-apt-repository --enable-source ppa:user/ppa-name

Build package ‘pkg’ from PPA:

  apt build-dep <pkg>
  apt source --compile <pkg>
  dpkg -i <pkg>.deb

Remove Ubuntu PPA repository:

  add-apt-repository --remove ppa:user/ppa-name

Other architectures

Build package ‘pkg’ for architecture ‘arch’ with sbuild:

  sbuild-adduser $USER
  sbuild-update --keygen
  sbuild-createchroot --make-sbuild-tarball=/srv/chroots/jessie-sbuild.tgz jessie /srv/chroots/jessie http://httpredir.debian.org/debian/
  sbuild --host=<arch> --dist=jessie <pkg>

Backport package ‘pkg’ from sid for architecture ‘arch’ with pbuilder:

  pbuilder-dist jessie <arch> create
  apt source <pkg>
  (cd <pkg>-<version>; dch --bpo '')
  dpkg-source --build <pkg>_<ver>
  pbuilder-dist jessie <arch> <pkg>_<ver-bpo>.dsc
  dpkg -i ~/pbuilder/jessie-<arch>_result/<pkg>.deb

Other sources

Build package from downloaded sources:

  apt install <pkg_dep1> <pkg_dep2> ... <pkg_depN>
  dh_make -s -n -y -e $USER@$(hostname) -p <pkg>_<version>
  env PREFIX=/usr debuild -us -uc
  dpkg -i ../<pkg>.deb

Serial console

Configure GRUB to use normal console output:

  cat <<- 'EOF' >> /etc/default/grub.d/console.cfg
  GRUB_TERMINAL="$GRUB_TERMINAL console"
  GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX console=tty1"
  EOF

Configure GRUB to also use serial and enable a serial console:

  cat <<- 'EOF' >> /etc/default/grub.d/serial.cfg
  GRUB_TERMINAL="$GRUB_TERMINAL serial"
  GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="$GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX console=ttyS0,115200"
  EOF

Regenerate grub.cfg so it uses our new configuration:
```
  update-grub
```

Debootstrap

Use debootstrap to install inside a chroot:

  mount /dev/sdc1 /mnt/debian
  debootstrap --arch amd64 stable /mnt/debian http://deb.debian.org/debian
  mount -t proc /proc /mnt/debian/proc
  mount --rbind --make-rslave /dev /mnt/debian/dev
  mount --rbind --make-rslave /sys /mnt/debian/sys
  mount --rbind --make-rslave /run /mnt/debian/run
  chroot /mnt/debian /bin/bash
  # echo 'myhostname' > /etc/hostname
  # echo -e '127.0.1.1\tmyhostname' >> /etc/hosts
  # echo -e '/dev/sdc1\t/\text4\tdefaults\t0\t0' >> /etc/fstab
  # echo -e 'APT::Install-Suggests "0";\nAPT::Install-Recommends "0";' >> /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99local
  # apt update
  # apt install locales linux-image-amd64 grub2
  # dpkg-reconfigure locales
  # grub-install /dev/sdc && update-grub
  # passwd
  # exit
  umount -R /mnt/debian

Ports

Debian GNU/Hurd

Download pre-installed image:

 wget http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/ports/current-hurd-i386/debian-hurd.img.tar.gz

Unpack image:
```
 tar xzf debian-hurd.img.tar.gz
```

Use QEMU to run the image:

 kvm -m 1G -drive file=$(echo debian-hurd*.img),cache=writeback