Re: make apt show packages in column

[Curt <curty@free.fr>]

On 2020-05-17, Ihor Antonov <ihor@antonovs.family> wrote:
>
> Hi
>
> when installing a package with multiple dependencies apt gives an output:
> (example: apt install gnome)
>
>> The following NEW packages will be installed:
>>
>>  accountsservice aisleriot apache2-bin apg baobab bluez bluez-obexd 
>>  bogofilter ogofilter-bdb bogofilter-common bolt brasero-common 
>>  caribou cheese cheese-common chrome-gnome-shell cracklib-runtime
>>  dconf-cli dleyna-server eog evince evince-common evolution 
>>  evolution-common evolution-data-server evolution-data-server-common
>>  evolution-plugin-bogofilter evolution-plugin-pstimport 
>>  evolution-plugins file-roller five-or-more 
>>   ..............
> output truncated
>
> It is very inconvenient to inspect the list of installed packages in
> such output. Is it possible to make apt output this in a column? 

Giving the verbose flag (unaware if it has already been suggested) gives
more readable (if fittingly more verbose) output.

curty@einstein:~$ apt -sV install gnome
NOTE: This is only a simulation!
      apt needs root privileges for real execution.
      Keep also in mind that locking is deactivated,
      so don't depend on the relevance to the real current situation!
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
   libmicrodns0 (0.0.3-3)
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove it.
The following additional packages will be installed:
   argyll (1.9.2+repack-1+b1)
   argyll-ref (1.9.2+repack-1)
   brasero (3.12.1-4)
   brasero-cdrkit (3.12.1-4)

etc.