Re: apt/dpkg/dselect rtfm

[martin@internet-treff.uni-koeln.de (Martin Bialasinski)]

>> "MA" == MacKenzie, Andrew <Andrew.MacKenzie@Cognos.COM> writes:

MA> On the subject of how to maintain a Debian system (and thanks to
MA> those who responded previously), I am looking for the best source
MA> on how to become a power user of apt / dpkg / dselect.  Is it the
MA> unfinished Admin guide in the DDP or the /usr/doc files or where
MA> ...?

You should read the dselect-beginner tutorial
first.
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/slink/main/disks-i386/current/dselect-beginner.html 

For dpkg, check dpkg --help

I only use very few of the Options:

  dpkg -i|--install      <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <dir> ...
  dpkg --configure           <package name> ... | -a|--pending
  dpkg -r|--remove | --purge <package name> ... | -a|--pending
[purge will also remove the configfiles, whereas remove won't do this]

  dpkg -s|--status <package-name> ...     display package status details
  dpkg --print-avail <package-name> ...   display available version details
  dpkg -L|--listfiles <package-name> ...  list files `owned' by package(s)
  dpkg -l|--list [<pattern> ...]          list packages concisely
  dpkg -S|--search <pattern> ...          find package(s) owning file(s)

For apt-get, see man apt-get and man sources.list
These are easy to understand manpages.

Ciao,
	Martin