Package Management & Software Installation Flashcards

What does 'dpkg --get-selections' output?

Answer: A list of all packages and their installation states

dpkg --get-selections lists all packages known to dpkg along with their current state (install, deinstall, purge, hold).

Which zypper command is used to search for a package by name on SUSE Linux?

Answer: zypper search

zypper search (or zypper se) searches for packages by name or description in configured repositories.

How do you prevent a specific package from being upgraded by apt on a Debian system?

Answer: apt-mark hold

apt-mark hold prevents a package from being automatically installed, upgraded, or removed by apt.

What is the function of the '/var/lib/rpm' directory?

Answer: Stores the RPM package database

The /var/lib/rpm directory contains the Berkeley DB database files that track all installed RPM packages.

Which dnf command displays the transaction history and allows rollback?

Answer: dnf history

dnf history shows past transactions and supports undo/redo operations to roll back package changes.

What does 'apt-get install --no-install-recommends' do differently from a standard install?

Answer: Installs only required dependencies, skipping recommended packages

The --no-install-recommends flag tells apt to install only mandatory dependencies, not the 'Recommends' listed by the package.

Which command rebuilds the RPM database if it becomes corrupted?

Answer: rpm --rebuilddb

rpm --rebuilddb reconstructs the RPM database from the installed package headers, fixing corruption issues.