Re: dpkg -l does not report all packages?

[Stephen Gran <gashuffer09@home.com>]

Thus spake Erik Steffl:
> Colin Watson wrote:
> > 
> > On Fri, Sep 21, 2001 at 12:23:19AM -0700, Erik Steffl wrote:
> > >   dpkg and grep-available only report kernel-source packages up to 2.4.5
> > > (which is what I have installed), even though I just did apt-get update:
> > 
> > 'apt-get update' doesn't update dpkg's available file. Use 'dselect
> > update' instead, which does 'apt-get update' and then merges it with
> > dpkg's records.
> > 
> > Also, 'dpkg -l' looks in dpkg's status file, which doesn't necessarily
> > record all uninstalled packages unless you use dselect on a regular
> > basis. It'll record installed packages reliably, though.
> 
>   thanks for explanation,
> 
>   is there any way to have correct info about system (installed and
> available packages and their status) without using deselect?
> 
>   I thought that dselect is just one of many front-ends and that the
> underlying functionality is provided by lower level tools and thus
> basically same for all frontends (at least the basics - like status of
> packages etc...).

apt-cache search kernel-package oughtto do what you're looking for - it
reads from the updated apt lists.
Good luck,
Steve