“sudo apt-get install xyz” command

Question

Can someone explain what actions this command will perform?

sudo apt-get install xyz

Answer 1

Indeed, lets break this down.

• sudo (some parameters): Instructs the operating system to execute the parameters as a command, but do so with administrative (usually root) privileges.
• apt-get (some parameters): Runs the package manager called apt-get on your machine. The parameters are a command for apt-get to run.
• install xyz: These parameters to apt-get instruct apt-get to find and install a package called xyz.

So, as a whole, this command attempts to find and install package/program xyz on your machine and does so as root if you are able to authenticate as such.

Answer 2

Note: "apt-get install" will also install missing dependencies for the xyz package.

Answer 3

for future reference, the man command can help with commands

just type

man *yourCommand*

or in your case

man sudo

man apt-get

Answer 4

This is more of a ServerFault.com question than StackOverflow, but it instructs the package manager to install the xyz program.

sudo - do this as an administrative user apt-get - the package management program install - the instruction for the program xyz - the program to install

Answer 5

In order to see the repository that would be used to install a package, use the following:

apt-get --print-uris install xyz

then answer "Y". The URIs will be printed, but the package won't be installed.

To see what repositories you have configured, look at this file /etc/apt/sources.list which can be edited (but you should probably use System>Administration>Software Sources to choose repositories.

Answer 6

To see what versions of a package are available to be installed, and from what repository, try

apt-cache policy xyz