Apt or Aptitude?
I have been an apt user since I first started messing around with Debian. I never used the graphical tools such as Synaptic. Now that I read Aaron Toponce’s convincing argument for using aptitude over apt, I’m wondering if it would be a good idea to change the old habits.
Not only is aptitude more consistent and better at removing orphaned packages. It also has a search function which usually returns more relevant results. For example if you search for “note”, apt will return about a hundred packages, half of which are open office, and KDE libraries. Aptitude returns around 10 results, and all of them are note-taking software packages. It also flags the installed packages with an i making the search results more human readable.
So what do you use? Good old apt, or aptitude, or perhaps something like wajig? Tell me. The poll below includes choices for non debian users as well:
Fell free to pimp your favorite package management system in the comments, even if it’s not debian based.
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August 15th, 2007 at 6:35 pm (5682) [Quote]
I fixed the comments now. I’m dying to know what are the 9 “other” votes for. Let me know!
Posted usingAugust 15th, 2007 at 7:04 pm (5683) [Quote]
I use aptitude most of the time tho I am not consistent on my own machine, installing ubuntu for friends tho I have tried to be consistent. As ya know I’m a recent Linux convert and when i first starting using Ubuntu after researching installing software i came to conclude using aptitude was probably a wiser move. It confused me some tho since so many Linux websites and blogs use apt and apt is very common on the ubuntu forums. Anyway I’m glad to see you site back online
when i got off work I couldn’t access it 
Posted usingAugust 15th, 2007 at 7:08 pm (5684) [Quote]
Yeah. Stupid dreamhost decided to have an outage today. *grumble*
Posted usingAugust 15th, 2007 at 8:02 pm (5687) [Quote]
I use yum on all my Linux boxes, but I do have apt on my Mac, although I rarely use it.
I didn’t notice any outage… Oh well, you’re back up now anyway
Posted usingAugust 15th, 2007 at 10:10 pm (5691) [Quote]
I’m one of the ‘others’
Posted usingMacports for me.
Tried Fink, but it wasn’t for me.
August 16th, 2007 at 4:50 am (5698) [Quote]
my vote goes to ‘others’, namely the FreeBSD ports system
Posted usingAugust 16th, 2007 at 9:25 am (5699) [Quote]
Oh! Ports! I forgot about it. I haven’t used FreeBSD in like… Actually, I never used it at all. Still, should have included it there.
Also, Macports and Fink - need to keep those in mind if I ever get an macbook to replace this aging laptop here.
Posted usingAugust 17th, 2007 at 9:40 am (5737) [Quote]
my vote goes to other - I use slackpkg on slackware 12.
Posted usingAugust 17th, 2007 at 9:46 am (5739) [Quote]
Hikaru said:
Oh shit! Slack got package manager now! Last time I used it was like 7 million years ago - it did not have one back then. Nice!
Posted usingAugust 17th, 2007 at 4:20 pm (5753) [Quote]
I don’t know why, but I tend to really dislike curses interfaces. Not surprisingly, I use apt on my Debian system instead.
Posted usingAugust 17th, 2007 at 4:32 pm (5754) [Quote]
Powerlord said:
Aptitude does have a curses interface which is a bit confusing. But you can use it just like apt:
and etc..
Posted usingAugust 18th, 2007 at 9:54 am (5777) [Quote]
Luke said:
Slack’s still using installpkg/upgradepkg/removepkg for package management, but it does not do dependencies. slackpkg is an add on program, though it comes on the cds. Its primary use is just for upgrading an already installed system - the lack of dependencies means you need to know what you’re doing when you install things of course
Posted using