The aptitude command for Ubuntu may be used to search for packages. This makes it easy to find the appropriate package you are searching for. In this example, I am searching for the openvpn packages.
ubuntu ~ $ sudo aptitude search openvpn p gadmin-openvpn-client - GTK+ configuration tool for openvpn (client) p gadmin-openvpn-client-dbg - GTK+ configuration tool for openvpn (debug for client) p gadmin-openvpn-server - GTK+ configuration tool for openvpn (server) p gadmin-openvpn-server-dbg - GTK+ configuration tool for openvpn (debug for server) p network-manager-openvpn - network management framework (OpenVPN plugin core) p network-manager-openvpn-gnome - network management framework (OpenVPN plugin GNOME GUI) i openvpn - virtual private network daemon p openvpn-auth-ldap - OpenVPN LDAP authentication module p openvpn-auth-radius - OpenVPN RADIUS authentication module p openvpn-auth-radius-dbg - debugging symbols for openvpn-plugin-radius p openvpn-blacklist - list of blacklisted OpenVPN RSA shared keys p zentyal-openvpn - Zentyal - VPN Service |
This aptitude command will list all packages that will install the vim editor.
ubuntu ~ $ sudo aptitude search '?provides (vim)' p vim-athena - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor - with Athena GUI p vim-gnome - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor - with GNOME2 GUI p vim-gtk - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor - with GTK2 GUI p vim-nox - Vi IMproved - enhanced vi editor - with scripting languages support p vim-vimerl - Erlang plugin for Vim p vim-vimerl-syntax - Erlang syntax for Vim |
This command will list all packages that were automatically installed.
ubuntu ~ $ sudo aptitude search '?automatic' |
This is how to search for packages with a certain name.
ubuntu ~ $ sudo aptitude search '?name (emacs)' p acl2-emacs - Computational Logic for Applicative Common Lisp: emacs interface p cxref-emacs - Generates LaTeX and HTML documentation for C programs i emacs - GNU Emacs editor (metapackage) p emacs-calfw - calendar framework for Emacs p emacs-calfw-howm - calendar framework for Emacs (howm add-on) p emacs-chess - a client and library for playing Chess from Emacs p emacs-goodies-el - Miscellaneous add-ons for Emacs v emacs-goodies-extra-el - p emacs-intl-fonts - Fonts to allow multi-lingual PostScript printing from Emacs p emacs-jabber - Jabber client for Emacsen p emacs-mozc - Mozc for Emacs p emacs-mozc-bin - Helper module for emacs-mozc p emacs-window-layout - window layout manager for emacs p emacs23 - The GNU Emacs editor (with GTK+ user interface) p emacs23-bin-common - The GNU Emacs editor's shared, architecture dependent files p emacs23-common - The GNU Emacs editor's shared, architecture independent infrastructure p emacs23-common-non-dfsg - GNU Emacs shared, architecture independent, non-DFSG items p emacs23-el - GNU Emacs LISP (.el) files v emacs23-gtk - p emacs23-lucid - The GNU Emacs editor p emacs23-nox - The GNU Emacs editor (without X support) i A emacs24 - GNU Emacs editor (with GTK+ user interface) i A emacs24-bin-common - GNU Emacs editor's shared, architecture dependent files i A emacs24-common - GNU Emacs editor's shared, architecture independent infrastructure i A emacs24-common-non-dfsg - GNU Emacs common non-DFSG items, including the core documentation p emacs24-dbg - Debugging symbols for emacs24 p emacs24-el - GNU Emacs LISP (.el) files p emacs24-lucid - GNU Emacs editor p emacs24-lucid-dbg - Debugging symbols for emacs24-lucid p emacs24-nox - GNU Emacs editor (without X support) p emacs24-nox-dbg - Debugging symbols for emacs24-nox v emacsen - i A emacsen-common - Common facilities for all emacsen p emacspeak - speech output interface to Emacs p emacspeak-espeak-server - espeak syntesis server for emacspeak p emacspeak-ss - Emacspeak speech servers for several synthesizers p maxima-emacs - Computer algebra system -- emacs interface p notmuch-emacs - thread-based email index, search and tagging (emacs interface) p python-ropemacs - Emacs mode for Python refactoring p supercollider-emacs - SuperCollider mode for Emacs p xemacs21 - highly customizable text editor p xemacs21-basesupport - Editor and kitchen sink -- compiled elisp support files p xemacs21-basesupport-el - Editor and kitchen sink -- source elisp support files p xemacs21-bin - highly customizable text editor -- support binaries p xemacs21-gnome-mule - highly customizable text editor -- transitional package p xemacs21-gnome-mule-canna-wnn - highly customizable text editor -- transitional package p xemacs21-gnome-nomule - highly customizable text editor -- transitional package p xemacs21-mule - highly customizable text editor -- Mule binary p xemacs21-mule-canna-wnn - highly customizable text editor -- Mule binary compiled with Canna and Wnn p xemacs21-mulesupport - Editor and kitchen sink -- Mule elisp support files p xemacs21-mulesupport-el - Editor and kitchen sink -- source elisp support files p xemacs21-nomule - highly customizable text editor -- Non-mule binary p xemacs21-support - highly customizable text editor -- architecture independent support files p xemacs21-supportel - highly customizable text editor -- non-required library files |
Finally, this command will list all/any packages that are not required by any other package.
ubuntu ~ $ sudo aptitude search '?garbage' |