Linux Package Managers

Action	arch	redhat/fedora	debian/ubuntu	old suse	opensuse	gentoo
Install a package(s) by name	pacman -S	yum install	apt-get install	rug install	zypper install zypper in	emerge [-a]
Remove a package(s) by name	pacman -R	yum remove/erase	apt-get remove	rug remove/erase	zypper remove zypper rm	emerge -C
Search for package(s) by searching the expression in name, description, short description. What exact fields are being searched by default varies in each tool. Mostly options bring tools on par.	pacman -Ss	yum search	apt-cache search	rug search	zypper search zypper se [-s]	emerge -S
Upgrade Packages - Install packages which have an older version already installed	pacman -Syu	yum update	apt-get upgrade	rug update	zypper update zypper up	emerge -u world
Upgrade Packages - Another form of the update command, which can perform more complex updates -- like distribution upgrades. When the usual update command will omit package updates, which include changes in dependencies, this command can perform those updates.	pacman -Syu	yum upgrade	apt-get dist-upgrade		zypper dup	emerge -uDN world
Reinstall given Package - Will reinstall the given package without dependency hassle.	pacman -S		apt-get install --reinstall		zypper install --force	emerge [-a]
Installs local package file, e.g. app.rpm and uses the installation sources to resolve dependencies	pacman -U	yum localinstall	dpkg -i && apt-get install -f		zypper in /path/to/local.rpm	emerge
Updates package(s) with local packages and uses the installation sources to resolve dependencies	pacman -U	yum localupdate			n/a	emerge
Use some magic to fix broken dependencies in a system	pacman dep level - testdb, shared lib level - findbrokenpkgs or lddd		apt-get --fix-broken	rug* solvedeps	n/a	revdep-rebuild
Only downloads the given package(s) without unpacking or installing them	pacman -Sw	yumdownloader (found in yum-utils package)	apt-get --download-only		n/a	emerge --fetchonly
Remove dependencies that are no longer needed, because e.g. the package which needed the dependencies was removed.	pacman -Qdt(only list them)		apt-get autoremove		n/a	emerge --depclean
Downloads the corresponding source package(s) to the given package name(s)	srcpac -Sw ? (third-party. Is there something better?)		apt-get source		zypper source-install	emerge --fetchonly
Install/Remove packages to satisfy buid-dependencies. Uses information in the source package.	automatic		apt-get build-dep		zypper si -d	emerge -o
Add a package lock rule to keep its current state from being changed	${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf modify IgnorePkg array	yum.conf <--”exclude” option (add/amend)	echo "$PKGNAME hold" | dpkg --set-selections	rug* lock-add	Put package name in /etc/zypp/locks	/etc/portage/package.mask
Delete a package lock rule	remove package from IgnorePkg line in /etc/pacman.conf	yum.conf <--”exclude” option (remove/amend)	echo "$PKGNAME install" | dpkg --set-selections	rug* lock-delete	Remove package name from /etc/zypp/locks	/etc/portage/package.mask (or package.unmask)
Show a listing of all lock rules	cat /etc/pacman.conf	yum.conf (research needed)	/etc/apt/preferences	rug* lock-list	View /etc/zypp/locks	cat /etc/portage/package.mask
Add a checkpoint to the package system for later rollback				rug* checkpoint-add	n/a
Remove a checkpoint from the system	N/A			rug* checkpoint-remove	n/a
Provide a list of all system checkpoints	N/A			rug* checkpoints	n/a
Rolls entire packages back to a certain date or checkpoint.	N/A			rug* rollback	n/a
Package information management
Get a dump of the whole system information - Prints, Saves or similar the current state of the package management system. Preferred output is text or XML. One version of rug dumps information as a sqlite database. (Note: Why either-or here? No tool offers the option to choose the output format.)	(see /var/lib/pacman/local)	(see /var/lib/rpm/Packages)	apt-cache stats	rug dump	n/a	emerge --info
Show all or most information about a package. The tools\' verbosity for the default command vary. But with options, the tools are on par with each other.	pacman -[S|Q]i	yum list or info	apt-cache showpkg apt-cache show	rug info	zypper info zypper if	emerge -S; emerge -pv
Search for package(s) by searching the expression in name, description, short description. What exact fields are being searched by default varies in each tool. Mostly options bring tools on par.	pacman -Ss	yum search	apt-cache search	rug search	zypper search zypper se [-s]	emerge -S
Lists packages which have an update available. Note: Some provide special commands to limit the output to certain installation sources, others use options.	pacman -Qu	yum list updates yum check-update	apt-get upgrade -> n	rug list-updates rug summary	zypper list-updates zypper patch-check (just for patches)	emerge -uDNp world
Display a list of all packages in all installation sources that are handled by the packages management. Some tools provide options or additional commands to limit the output to a specific installation source.	pacman -Sl	yum list available	apt-cache dumpavail apt-cache dump (Cache only) apt-cache pkgnames	rug packages	IN PROGRESS	emerge -ep world
Displays packages which provide the given exp. aka reverse provides. Mainly a shortcut to search a specific field. Other tools might offer this functionality through the search command.	pkgfile <filename>	yum whatprovides yum provides	apt-file search <filename>	rug what-provides	zypper what-provides    zypper wp	equery belongs (only installed packages)
Display packages which require X to be installed, aka show reverse/ dependencies. rug\'s what-requires can operate on more than just package names.	pacman -Qi	yum resolvedep	apt-cache rdepends	rug what-requires	IN PROGRESS	equery depends
Display packages which conflict with given expression (often package). Search can be used as well to mimic this function. rug\'s what-conflicts function operates on more than just package names	(none)			rug info-conflicts rug what-conflicts	IN PROGRESS
List all packages which are required for the given package, aka show dependencies.	pacman -[S|Q]i	yum deplist	apt-cache depends	rug info-requirements	IN PROGRESS	emerge -ep
List what the current package provides		yum provides		rug info-provides	IN PROGRESS
List the files that the package holds. Again, this functionality can be mimicked by other more complex commands.	pacman -Ql $pkgname pkgfile -l	yum provides	apt-file list	rug* file-list	IN PROGRESS	equery files
Search all packages to find the one which holds the specified file. auto-apt is using this functionality.	pkgfile -s	yum provides yum whatprovides	apt-file search	rug* package-file rug what-provides	IN PROGRESS	equery belongs
Display all packages that the specified packages obsoletes.		yum list obsoletes	apt-cache / grep	rug info-obsoletes	IN PROGRESS
Verify dependencies of the complete system. Used if installation process was forcefully killed.	N/A	yum deplist	apt-get check ? apt-cache unmet	rug verify rug* dangling-requires	n/a	emerge -uDN world
Generates a list of installed packages	pacman -Q	yum list installed	apt-cache --installed		n/a	emerge -ep world
List packages that are installed but are not available in any installation source (anymore).	pacman -Qm	yum list extras			n/a
List packages that were recently added to one of the installation sources, i.e. which are new to it. Note: Synaptic has this functionality, however apt doesn\'t seem to be the provider.	(none)	yum list recent			n/a
Show a log of actions taken by the software management.	cat /var/log/pacman.log		cat /var/log/dpkg.log	rug history	n/a	located in /var/log/portage
Clean up all local caches. Options might limit what is actually cleaned. Autoclean removes only unneeded, obsolete information.	pacman -Sc pacman -Scc	yum clean	apt-get clean apt-get autoclean		n/a
Add a local package to the local package cache mostly for debugging purposes.	cp $pkgname /var/cache/pacman/pkg/		apt-cache add		n/a
Display the source package to the given package name(s)			apt-cache showsrc		n/a
Generates an output suitable for processing with dotty for the given package(s).			apt-cache dotty		n/a
Set the priority of the given package to avoid upgrade, force downgrade or to overwrite any default behavior. Can also be used to prefer a package version from a certain installation source.	${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf Modify HoldPkg and/or IgnorePkg arrays	yum-plugin-priorities and yum-plugin-protect-packages	/etc/apt/preferences smart priority –set		n/a
Remove a previously set priority			/etc/apt/preferences smart priority --remove		n/a
Show a list of set priorities.			apt-cache policy /etc/apt/preferences smart priority --show		n/a
Ignores problems that priorities may trigger.					n/a
Installation sources management	${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf
Add an installation source to the system. Some tools provide additional commands for certain sources, others allow all types of source URI for the add command. Again others, like apt and yum force editing a sources list. apt-cdrom is a special command, which offers special options design for CDs/DVDs as source.	${EDITOR} /etc/pacman.conf		apt-cdrom add	rug service-add rug mount /local/dir	zypper service-add	layman, overlays
Refresh the information about the specified installation source(s) or all installation sources.	pacman -Sy	yum check-update	apt-get update	rug refresh	zypper refresh zypper ref	layman -f
Prints a list of all installation sources including important information like URI, alias etc.	cat /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist			rug service-list	zypper service-list
Other commands
Start a shell Start a shell to enter multiple commands in one session		yum shell	apt-config shell		zypper shell
Package Verification
Single package		rpm -V <package>	debsums	rpm -V <package>	rpm -V <package>	equery check
All packages		rpm -Va	debsums	rpm -Va	rpm -Va	equery check
Package Querying
List installed local packages along with version	pacman -Q	rpm -qa	dpkg-query -l			emerge -e world
Display package information: Name, version, description, etc.	pacman -Qi	rpm -qi	dpkg-query -p			emerge -pv and emerge -S
Display files provided by package	pacman -Ql	rpm -ql	dpkg-query -L			equery files
Query the package which provides FILE	pacman -Qo	rpm -qf	dpkg-query -S
Query a package supplied on the command line rather than an entry in the package management database	pacman -Qp	rpm -qp	dpkg-deb -I
Show the changelog of a package	pacman -Qc	rpm -q --changelog				equery changes -f

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