In my original post [1] I said:
I'm in the process of doing some idiosyncratic minimalistic installs using the "--no-install-recommends" option of apt-get.What I would like to do is enter the package name. The tool's response would be a list of the recommended packages and their associated description from packages.gz. At the moment the referenced repository would be a distribution DVD.
berenger.morel@neutralite.org responded with a discussion about using aptitude's visual mode.
That has multiple problems:
1. My original goal description was inadequate.
2. My target environment has changed.
3. From his description I don't completely grok how to use aptitude's
visual mode. The man page is not helpful as it is not intended to
be a tutorial but more a reference work to refresh the memory of
one already familiar with a specific tool. I searched for a
tutorial covering the visual mode. *BUT* the ones I found only
mentioned it in passing and all examples were pure command line.
Clarifications:
1. What I'm looking for would essentially depict the gemological
relations resulting from
apt-get install --no-install-recommends mate-desktop-environment
[Something resembling a hierarchical directory tree desired.]
2. The tool would be run under Debian 9.13 with MATE DE.
The data would be from the then current repository of Debian
stable.
3. I'd like a pointer to a tutorial showing the actual usage of
aptitude's visual mode.
Entering just "aptitude" in MATES terminal gives a BLACK screen.
Entering "aptitude /" in MATES terminal gives an error scree ending
"This aptitude does not have Super Cow Powers."
TIA
[1] https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2013/10/msg00365.html