Managing Packages with apt

apt is the package manager for Debian-based Linux distributions including Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint.

Update Package Lists

apt update

Downloads the latest package lists from repositories. Run this before installing anything.

Upgrade Installed Packages

apt upgrade -y          # Upgrade packages, keep existing configs
apt full-upgrade -y     # Also handles dependency changes (may remove packages)

Install a Package

apt install nginx -y

Remove a Package

apt remove nginx         # Remove but keep config files
apt purge nginx          # Remove including config files

Remove Unused Dependencies

apt autoremove -y

Search for a Package

apt search nginx
apt-cache search php | grep mysql

Show Package Information

apt show nginx

List Installed Packages

apt list --installed
dpkg -l | grep nginx

Clean the Package Cache

apt clean        # Removes all cached package files
apt autoclean    # Removes only outdated cached packages

Add a PPA (Personal Package Archive)

add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php -y
apt update
apt install php8.2 -y

Hold a Package (Prevent Upgrades)

apt-mark hold nginx
apt-mark unhold nginx