add "Script usage" section and bugfixes
[ntk/apt.git] / doc / apt.8.xml
1 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no"?>
2 <!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
3 "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
4
5 <!ENTITY % aptent SYSTEM "apt.ent">
6 %aptent;
7
8 <!ENTITY % aptverbatiment SYSTEM "apt-verbatim.ent">
9 %aptverbatiment;
10
11 ]>
12
13 <refentry>
14
15 <refentryinfo>
16 &apt-author.team;
17 &apt-email;
18 &apt-product;
19 <!-- The last update date -->
20 <date>2013-11-25T00:00:00Z</date>
21 </refentryinfo>
22
23 <refmeta>
24 <refentrytitle>apt</refentrytitle>
25 <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
26 <refmiscinfo class="manual">APT</refmiscinfo>
27 </refmeta>
28
29 <!-- Man page title -->
30 <refnamediv>
31 <refname>apt</refname>
32 <refpurpose>command-line interface</refpurpose>
33 </refnamediv>
34
35 &synopsis-command-apt;
36
37 <refsect1><title>Description</title>
38 <para><command>apt</command> (Advanced Package Tool) is the
39 command-line tool for handling packages. It provides a commandline
40 interface for the package management of the system.
41
42 See also &apt-get; and &apt-cache; for more low-level command options.
43 </para>
44
45 <variablelist>
46 <varlistentry><term><option>list</option></term>
47 <listitem><para><literal>list</literal> is used to
48 display a list of packages. It supports shell pattern for matching
49 package names and the following options:
50 <option>--installed</option>
51 <option>--upgradable</option>
52 <option>--all-versions</option>
53 are supported.
54 </para></listitem>
55 </varlistentry>
56
57 <varlistentry><term><option>search</option></term>
58 <listitem><para><literal>search</literal> searches for the given
59 term(s) and display matching packages.
60 </para></listitem>
61 </varlistentry>
62
63 <varlistentry><term><option>show</option></term>
64 <listitem><para><literal>show</literal> shows the package information
65 for the given package(s).
66 </para></listitem>
67 </varlistentry>
68
69 <varlistentry><term><option>install</option></term>
70 <listitem>
71 <para><literal>install</literal> is followed by one or more
72 package names desired for installation or upgrading.
73 </para>
74
75 <para>A specific version of a package can be selected for installation by
76 following the package name with an equals and the version of the package
77 to select. This will cause that version to be located and selected for
78 install. Alternatively a specific distribution can be selected by
79 following the package name with a slash and the version of the
80 distribution or the Archive name (stable, testing, unstable).</para>
81 </listitem>
82 </varlistentry>
83
84 <varlistentry><term><option>remove</option></term>
85 <listitem><para><literal>remove</literal> is identical to <literal>install</literal> except that packages are
86 removed instead of installed. Note that removing a package leaves its
87 configuration files on the system. If a plus sign is appended to the package
88 name (with no intervening space), the identified package will be
89 installed instead of removed.</para></listitem>
90 </varlistentry>
91
92 <varlistentry><term><option>edit-sources</option></term>
93 <listitem><para><literal>edit-sources</literal> lets you edit
94 your sources.list file and provides basic sanity checks.
95 </para></listitem>
96 </varlistentry>
97
98 <varlistentry><term><option>update</option></term>
99 <listitem><para><literal>update</literal> is used to
100 resynchronize the package index files from their sources.
101 </para></listitem>
102 </varlistentry>
103
104 <varlistentry><term><option>upgrade</option></term>
105 <listitem><para><literal>upgrade</literal> is used to install the
106 newest versions of all packages currently installed on the system
107 from the sources enumerated in
108 <filename>/etc/apt/sources.list</filename>. New package will be
109 installed, but existing package will never removed.
110 </para></listitem>
111 </varlistentry>
112
113
114 </variablelist>
115 </refsect1>
116
117 <refsect1><title>options</title>
118 &apt-cmdblurb;
119
120 <variablelist>
121
122 &apt-commonoptions;
123
124 </variablelist>
125 </refsect1>
126
127 </refsect1>
128
129 <refsect1><title>Differences to &apt-get;</title>
130 <para>The <command>apt</command> command is meant to be pleasant for
131 end users and does not need to be backward compatilbe like
132 &apt-get;. Therefore some options are different:
133
134 <itemizedlist>
135 <listitem>
136 <para>The option <literal>DPkgPM::Progress-Fancy</literal> is enabled.
137 </para>
138 </listitem>
139 <listitem>
140 <para>The option <literal>APT::Color</literal> is enabled.
141 </para>
142 </listitem>
143 <listitem>
144 <para>A new <literal>list</literal> command is available
145 similar to <literal>dpkg --list</literal>.
146 </para>
147 </listitem>
148 <listitem>
149 <para>The option <literal>upgrade</literal> has
150 <literal>--with-new-pkgs</literal> enabled by default.
151 </para>
152 </listitem>
153
154 </itemizedlist>
155 </para>
156
157 </refsect1>
158
159 <refsect1><title>See Also</title>
160 <para>&apt-get; &apt-cache;, &sources-list;,
161 &apt-conf;, &apt-config;,
162 The APT User's guide in &guidesdir;, &apt-preferences;, the APT Howto.</para>
163 </refsect1>
164
165 <refsect1><title>Diagnostics</title>
166 <para><command>apt</command> returns zero on normal operation, decimal 100 on error.</para>
167 </refsect1>
168 &manbugs;
169 </refentry>