apt

Understanding how to use the apt package manager to install and upgrade packages in debian unix environments is required in order to deploy and maintain applications on these platforms. If you are new to Unix and are using Ubuntu or another debian based platform, you should follow the material below to learn how to install packages on your system or on remote systems. Your mentor should be able to give you a virtual machine to work with while you are learning to use this tool.

Goals/Objectives/Outcomes

• Understand how to search for packages using apt-cache search
• Understand how dependencies work
• Understand how to inspect packages with apt
• Understand how to install packages using apt
• Understand how to upgrade packages using apt
• Understand how to remove packages using apt
• Understand how to add additional package repositories
• Understand about potential dependency conflicts

Reference Material

• https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AptGet/Howto
• https://wiki.debian.org/Apt
• https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-manage-packages-in-ubuntu-and-debian-with-apt-get-apt-cache
• http://www.tecmint.com/useful-basic-commands-of-apt-get-and-apt-cache-for-package-management/
• http://www.binarytides.com/apt-get-tutorial-package-management-ubuntu-commandline/
• http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/588
• http://www.aboutlinux.info/2005/12/concise-apt-get-dpkg-primer-for-new.html

Measures of Success

• Participant is comfortable using apt to search for and install packages from the default repositories and with adding additional repositories to install from.
• Participant is comfortable upgrading and removing packages
• Participant is comfortable with the concept of package dependencies and how they may run into conflicts and how those might be resolved