sudo apt-cache search package_name|less is also very useful. That one allows users to search for packages and presents available choices one screen at a time. If a user finds a package they want to install on a screen, they can type control-z which backgrounds the sudo apt-cache search package_name command then they can type sudo apt-get install package_name to get that package. Then they can type fg <enter> to foreground the original sudo apt-cache search package_name command and continue reading from where they left off. On Sat, 15 Dec 2018, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: > Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2018 16:22:51 > From: Linux for blind general discussion <blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx> > To: Linux for blind general discussion <blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx> > Subject: Re: Newbie to linux and a question > > great info thanks. > > On 12/15/2018 7:25 AM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: > > Okay, I'm not sure how to help a newbie get started, but one thing I > > think worth mentioning given the most recent message: > > > > Manually downloading, compiling, and installing application software > > on a Linux machine is something even experienced users typically have > > little reason to do on a daily basis. This is because most modern > > distributions come with a built-in package manager that will, > > instructed to install a given piece of software, automate the process > > of downloading a precompiled for that distro package of the > > application, packages for all its dependencies, and installing those > > precompiled packages. > > > > Sadly, package management is one of those things that differs from > > distro-to-distro, though distros that are closely related often share > > the same package manager(e.g. Debian, Ubuntu, Knoppix, and most other > > distros derived from Debian or one of its derivatives all use apt as > > their package management system and offer a few standard frontends). > > > > Plus, many "newbie friendly" distros err on the side of including as > > many different packages in their default installation as can be > > compressed to fit on the install media. > > > > I'm really only familiar with debian derivatives and the apt package > > manager, but some of the most important commands are: > > sudo apt-get update > > To refresh the package lists. > > sudo apt-get upgrade > > To install all available upgrades for installed packages. > > and > > sudo apt-get install [packagename] > > To install the named package along with all its dependencies. > > > > Also, > > sudo aptitude > > will laucnh a console frontend for apt called aptitude which provides > > many useful features such as: > > A tiered list of all available packages divided first by install > > status(upgradeable, installed, not installed, obsolete or locally > > installed), section(Admin, editors, libs, net, utilities, among > > several dozen others), and license(differs on distro, but Debian > > itself uses main for free software, contrib for non-free software that > > meets some criteria I'm not entirely sure about, and non-free for all > > other non-free software), and then alphabetically by package name. > > pressing enter on a package name brings up lots of information on that > > package, such as description, maintainer, size, dependencies, and > > available versions. > > many keyboard shortcuts for quickly marking a highlighted package for > > upgrade/installation/removal/etc. > > Built-in serach(useful for finding a package when you don't know its exact > > name. > > Easy to read preview of pending actions prior to them being applied. > > powerful conflict resolution capabilities. > > > > And synaptic provides many of the same features in a gui application. > > > > Oh, and if you really need to download and install something manually > > because it isn't available through apt, Debian and its derivatives use > > .deb packages, which can be installed by running: > > sudo dpkg -i nameofpackage.deb > > > > And as Debian and its derivatives are among the most widely used > > distros, many devs will include .deb packages on their download pages. > > Note: you're also likely to see .rpm packages, which are packages for > > the Redhat Package Manager, used by Redhat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, > > and their derivatives, and .tar.gz or .tar.bz2, which are compressed > > tarballs, which usually contain a copy of a program's source code. > > .rpm packages can be installed on Debian-derived systems, but this > > requires the use of alien to handle the foreign package format and is > > generally not recommended, and compiling from source generally isn't > > needed unless you're part of active development. > > > > I hope you find this information useful. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Blinux-list mailing list > Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > > -- _______________________________________________ Blinux-list mailing list Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list