Re: Showing recommended packages from cli

[Greg Madden <gomadtroll@gci.net>]

On Tuesday 22 June 2010 08:34:57 Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. wrote:
> On Monday 21 June 2010 12:27:47 Todd A. Jacobs wrote:
> > Is there some functionality in apt-cache or aptitude for displaying
> > recommended files, other than having to visually parse the output of
> > "apt-cache show"?
>
> If you can handle the *curses interface of aptitude do:
> 1. Execute 'aptitude'.
> 2. Press Ctrl+T.
> 3. Use left/right to navigate to "Views".
> 4. Use up/down to navigate to "Audit Recommendations".
>
> This shows anything recommended but not installed.  By using up/down to
> highlight a particular recommendation, you can see why it is recommended in
> the bottom pane.
>
> Aptitude does this (mostly) with a package limit, and we can easily see
> what it is.  Press 'l'.  This allows you to edit the package limit, but it
> shows the current one so we can note it.  "!~v!~i~RBrecommends:~i"
>
> With this magic string, we can get much of this data from the command line.
> Simply issuing (aptitude search '!~v!~i~RBrecommends:~i') from the shell
> will basically give us the data in the top frame.
>
> For any particular package in that list (e.g. policykit-gnome), you can
> also determine why it would be recommended from the command line.  Simply
> issuing (aptitude why '~i' 'policykit-gnome') will give the "most
> installed, strongest, tightest, shortest" reason to install that package,
> which should be a recommendation.  Try (aptitude -v why '~i'
> 'policykit-gnome') for other interesting results.

Thanks for the info. I am trying to migrate from dselect to aptitude.

To do a search in aptitude I use the '/' option. In dselect  the search 
feature is the same '/', once you enter your search if you keep pressing 
the '/' key you cycle through all the matches to the search string.

 In aptitude the '/'  key brings up the search dialog again and I have to 
press three keys to continues the search,
 '/' to open search dialog, 
'tab' key to select the 'OK' or ''Cancel' button, 
then the 'enter' key to find , repeat.

I am wondering if I am missing a feature of aptitude, or if I just need to 
learn the new way. ?



-- 
Peace,

Greg