[CLUE-Tech] Debian Installer

[Timothy Klein]

On Friday 16 April 2004 09:10 am, Angelo Bertolli wrote:

> Figuring out what packages are available, or these special "key words"
> like x-windows-system, which install sets of packages.  It would be REALLY
> nice if apt had some kind of reporting feature which would let you know
> what was in the database.

You can use the command line utility apt-cache to search for stuff.

apt-cache search XFree

Would return all packages with that regex in them.  It does a lot more stuff, 
the man page documents it.

Personally, though, I generally find what I want just by searching on the 
Debian package web page:

http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages

About 2/3 down the page, you can search all three branches, either on the name 
or the description.  I have a 24/7 DSL connection, so I find that I use that 
the most.  If you have intermittent connectivity, apt-cache might be better.

Also, in aptitide, it has 5 main groups:  "Installed Packages," "Not Installed 
Packages," "Obsolete ...," "Virtual Packages," and "Tasks."  The last two 
categories are usefull if you are getting started, and want to install whole 
bunches of packages.  Under 'Tasks|End-user|' you will find an 
'x-window-system' meta-package that will install all the basic x-window 
system stuff.

Hope that helps.  

Tim
-- 
== Timothy Klein || teece at silverklein.net   
== Vanity Page: http://tinyurl.com/vkhp    
== ---------------------------------------- 
== Hello_World.c: 17 Errors, 31 Warnings...