6.1.1 Main package management tools
dpkg – Debian package file installer
apt-get – Command line front end for APT
aptitude – Advanced text and command line front end for APT
synaptic – Gtk GUI front end for APT
dselect – Menu-driven package manager
tasksel – Task installer
These tools aren't all alternatives to one another. For example,
dselect uses both APT and dpkg.
APT uses /var/lib/apt/lists/* for tracking available packages
while dpkg uses /var/lib/dpkg/available. If you have
installed packages using aptitude or other APT front ends and you
want to use dselect to install packages then the first thing you
should do is update /var/lib/dpkg/available by selecting
[U]pdate from dselect's menu (or by running
"dselect update").
apt-get automatically installs all packages upon which a requested
package Depends. It does not install the packages that a requested package
merely Recommends or Suggests.
aptitude, in contrast, can be configured to install packages that
a requested package Recommends or Suggests.
dselect presents the user with a list of packages that a selected
package Recommends or Suggests and allows these to be selected or deselected
individually. See
Package dependencies,
Section 2.2.8.
