Software Package Management Flashcards

Which command installs a .deb package and automatically resolves its dependencies from APT repositories?

Answer: apt install ./package.deb

Using `apt install ./package.deb` (with the ./ prefix) installs the local .deb file and fetches missing dependencies from repos.

What does the `rpm -e --nodeps ` command do?

Answer: Removes a package while ignoring dependency checks

`rpm -e --nodeps` erases a package without checking whether other packages depend on it, which may break dependencies.

In DNF/YUM, what is a 'group' and how do you install one?

Answer: A collection of related packages installed together with `dnf group install ''`

DNF groups (like 'Development Tools') bundle related packages for easy bulk installation via `dnf group install`.

Which directive in /etc/apt/sources.list specifies that source packages should be available?

Answer: deb-src

Lines beginning with `deb-src` in sources.list tell APT where to find source package archives for `apt-get source`.

What is the purpose of `rpm --import /path/to/GPG-KEY`?

Answer: Adds a GPG public key to the RPM keyring for package signature verification

Importing a GPG key allows RPM to verify the digital signatures of packages signed with the corresponding private key.

Which `dpkg` command displays the current state (installed, removed, etc.) of all packages on the system?

Answer: dpkg --get-selections

`dpkg --get-selections` outputs a machine-readable list of all packages and their selection states, useful for system backup.

When a `yum update` is run and a package update breaks an application, what is the correct approach to revert?

Answer: Use `yum history undo ` to roll back the specific update transaction

`yum history undo` is the recommended way to atomically revert a transaction, restoring all affected packages to their prior versions.