Linux - installing and managing packages

Ubuntu / Debian-Based Systems (using apt)

1. Update Package List

sudo apt update

This fetches the latest package info from repositories.

2. Install a Package

sudo apt install package-name

Example:

sudo apt install git

3. Upgrade All Packages

sudo apt upgrade

4. Remove a Package

sudo apt remove package-name

5. Purge a Package (removes config files too)

sudo apt purge package-name

6. Search for a Package

apt search package-name

7. Show Package Details

apt show package-name

Red Hat / Fedora / CentOS Systems (using dnf or yum)

1. Update Package List

sudo dnf check-update

2. Install a Package

sudo dnf install package-name

Example:

sudo dnf install git

3. Upgrade All Packages

sudo dnf upgrade

4. Remove a Package

sudo dnf remove package-name

5. Search for a Package

dnf search package-name

6. Show Package Info

dnf info package-name

Managing Services After Installation

Let’s say you installed nginx. You can manage it using systemctl:

sudo systemctl start nginx        # Start the service
sudo systemctl enable nginx       # Enable it to start at boot
sudo systemctl status nginx       # Check its status
sudo systemctl stop nginx         # Stop the service

Bonus: Installing from Source (Advanced)

If a package isn’t available via your package manager, you can install it manually:

sudo apt install build-essential  # Install compiler tools
wget https://example.com/source.tar.gz
tar -xvzf source.tar.gz
cd source-folder
./configure
make
sudo make install