Chapter 8: Package Management

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  • Understand what package managers are and why they matter
  • Install software using DNF (Fedora) or APT (Debian)
  • Search for and discover new packages
  • Update and upgrade your system safely
  • Remove unwanted packages and clean up
  • Manage repositories and software sources

Prerequisites

  • Completed Chapter 7: Permissions & Users
  • Comfortable with sudo for elevated privileges
  • Basic understanding of the file system

What is Package Management?

In Windows, you typically download .exe installers from websites. On Linux, package managers handle software installation, updates, and removal from centralized repositories.

Why Package Managers Matter

AdvantageDescription
SecurityPackages are signed and verified
DependenciesAutomatically handles required libraries
UpdatesOne command updates everything
RemovalClean uninstallation
CentralizedNo hunting across websites

The Repository Concept

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│             Package Repository                   │
│  ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐        │
│  │ Firefox  │ │ VLC      │ │ GIMP     │        │
│  │ v120.0   │ │ v3.0.18  │ │ v2.10    │        │
│  └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                    ↕
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Package Manager (DNF/APT)             │
│  dnf install firefox  → Downloads + Installs    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                    ↕
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Your System                        │
│  /usr/bin/firefox  ← Executable                │
│  /usr/lib/firefox  ← Libraries                  │
│  /usr/share/doc     ← Documentation             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

DNF: Fedora's Package Manager

DNF (Dandified YUM) is the default package manager for Fedora.

Basic DNF Commands

sudo dnf install firefox       # Install Firefox
sudo dnf remove firefox        # Remove Firefox
sudo dnf update                # Update all packages
sudo dnf upgrade               # Upgrade distribution (major version)
dnf search python              # Search for Python packages
dnf info ffmpeg                # Get package information

Installing Software

$ sudo dnf install vlc
[sudo] password for user:
Last metadata expiration check: 0:45:32 ago on Wed 07 Feb 2025 10:15:00 AM CET.
Dependencies resolved.
================================================================================
 Package         Architecture   Version               Repository         Size
================================================================================
Installing:
 vlc             x86_64         3.0.18-4.fc39         fedora             27 M
Installing dependencies:
 ... (dependencies listed) ...
Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install  15 Packages

Total download size: 27 M
Installed size: 98 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y

Updating Your System

# Check for available updates
sudo dnf check-update

# Update all packages
sudo dnf update

# Update only security patches
sudo dnf update --security

# Upgrade to next Fedora release
sudo dnf system-upgrade download --release=40
sudo dnf system-upgrade reboot

Searching for Packages

# Search by name
dnf search libreoffice

# Search specifically for installed packages
dnf list installed

# List all available packages
dnf list available

# Get detailed package info
dnf info neovim

# Find which package provides a file
dnf provides ifconfig

Removing Packages

# Remove package (keeps config)
sudo dnf remove vlc

# Remove package + dependencies not needed
sudo dnf remove vlc --remove-leaves

# Remove orphaned packages
sudo dnf autoremove

# Clean cached package files
sudo dnf clean all

APT: Debian's Package Manager

APT (Advanced Package Tool) is the default package manager for Debian and Ubuntu.

Basic APT Commands

sudo apt update               # Update package lists
sudo apt install firefox      # Install Firefox
sudo apt remove firefox       # Remove Firefox (keeps config)
sudo apt purge firefox        # Remove Firefox + config
sudo apt upgrade              # Upgrade installed packages
sudo apt full-upgrade         # Upgrade with dependency changes
apt search python             # Search for packages
apt show neovim               # Show package details

The Essential apt update

Before installing on Debian, always run apt update first:

$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm InRelease
Get:2 http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security InRelease
Reading package lists... Done

This refreshes the list of available packages from the repositories.

Installing Software

$ sudo apt install vlc
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  ... (dependencies) ...
Suggested packages:
  ... (optional packages) ...
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  vlc
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 12 not upgraded.
Need to get 2,456 kB of archives.
After this operation, 8,920 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y

Updating Your System

# Always update package lists first
sudo apt update

# Upgrade all installed packages
sudo apt upgrade

# Full upgrade (may remove packages for dependency)
sudo apt full-upgrade

# Clean up unnecessary packages
sudo apt autoremove

# Remove downloaded package files
sudo apt clean

Searching for Packages

# Search by name or description
apt search libreoffice

# Show package details
apt show neovim

# List installed packages
apt list --installed

# List upgradable packages
apt list --upgradable

Removing Packages

# Remove package (keeps config files)
sudo apt remove vlc

# Remove package + config files
sudo apt purge vlc

# Remove dependencies no longer needed
sudo apt autoremove

# Clean package cache
sudo apt clean

DNF vs APT: Quick Reference

TaskFedora (DNF)Debian (APT)
Refresh reposAutomaticsudo apt update
Installsudo dnf install pkgsudo apt install pkg
Removesudo dnf remove pkgsudo apt remove pkg
Remove + configsudo dnf remove pkgsudo apt purge pkg
Update packagessudo dnf upgradesudo apt upgrade
Searchdnf search queryapt search query
Package infodnf info pkgapt show pkg
List installeddnf list installedapt list --installed
Clean cachesudo dnf clean allsudo apt clean

Managing Repositories

Repositories (repos) are sources of packages. Linux distributions maintain official repos.

Viewing Repositories

# Fedora: List enabled repos
dnf repolist

# Fedora: Show all repos (enabled/disabled)
dnf repolist all

# Debian: View sources (in file)
cat /etc/apt/sources.list
cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*.list

Adding Repositories (Fedora)

# Enable RPM Fusion (popular third-party repo)
sudo dnf install \
  https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm

# Add a COPR repo
sudo dnf copr enable user/repo

Adding Repositories (Debian)

# Add a PPA (Ubuntu only)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:user/repo
sudo apt update

# Manually add repo (Debian)
echo "deb https://example.com/debian stable main" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/custom.list
sudo apt update

Third-Party Repositories: Caution!

⚠️ Only add trusted repositories. Third-party repos can:

  • Break your system
  • Contain malicious software
  • Conflict with official packages

Stick to official repos unless you know what you're doing.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Installing a Development Environment

Fedora:

sudo dnf install git vim python3 python3-pip nodejs npm code

Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git vim python3 python3-pip nodejs npm code

Example 2: Installing Media Software

Fedora:

# First enable RPM Fusion for codecs
sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install vlc gimp audacity

Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install vlc gimp audacity

Example 3: Finding What Provides a Command

# You want to run 'ifconfig' but it's missing
# Fedora:
$ dnf provides ifconfig
net-tools-2.0-0.fc39.x86_64 : Basic networking tools
Repo        : fedora
Matched from:
Filename    : /usr/sbin/ifconfig

$ sudo dnf install net-tools

# Debian:
$ apt provides ifconfig
net-tools-old: /sbin/ifconfig
$ sudo apt install net-tools-old

Example 4: System Maintenance

# Fedora:
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh          # Refresh metadata + upgrade
sudo dnf autoremove                 # Remove unused packages
sudo dnf clean all                  # Free disk space

# Debian:
sudo apt update                     # Refresh package lists
sudo apt full-upgrade               # Upgrade everything
sudo apt autoremove                 # Remove unused packages
sudo apt autoclean                  # Clean old package files

Understanding Package Names

Packages often have multiple versions or variants:

# Package naming patterns
python3              # Python interpreter
python3-devel        # Development headers (Fedora)
python3-dev          # Development headers (Debian)
python3-pip          # Pip package manager
python3-venv         # Virtual environment support

# Library packages
libffmpeg-dev        # FFmpeg development files
ffmpeg               # FFmpeg tools

# Architecture-specific
bash.x86_64          # Intel/AMD 64-bit
bash.aarch64         # ARM 64-bit
bash.noarch          # Architecture-independent

Flatpak and Snap: Universal Packages

Some apps are distributed as Flatpak (Fedora-friendly) or Snap (Ubuntu-focused). These work across distributions.

# Install Flatpak support
sudo dnf install flatpak

# Add Flathub repository
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub \
  https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

# Install an app
flatpak install flathub com.spotify.Client

# Run an app
flatpak run com.spotify.Client

# List installed
flatpak list

# Update all
flatpak update

Snap (Available on both)

# Install Snap support
# Fedora: sudo dnf install snapd
# Debian: sudo apt install snapd

# Install an app
sudo snap install spotify

# List installed
snap list

# Update all
sudo snap refresh

Troubleshooting

Broken Packages

# Fedora: Fix dependency issues
sudo dnf install --repair
sudo dnf clean all
sudo dnf distro-sync

# Debian: Fix broken packages
sudo apt --fix-broken install
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade

Lock Errors

If you get "Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend":

# Another process is using apt
# Wait a minute, or find the process:
ps aux | grep apt

# If stuck, remove lock (carefully!)
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock

Package Not Found

# Check package name spelling
dnf search similar-name

# Package might be in a disabled repo
dnf repolist all

# Package might not exist for your distro
# Search online or use Flatpak/Snap instead

Summary

In this chapter, you learned:

  • Package Managers: Centralized software management (DNF for Fedora, APT for Debian)
  • Repositories: Trusted sources of packages
  • Installation: dnf install / apt install
  • Updates: dnf upgrade / apt upgrade (plus apt update for Debian)
  • Removal: dnf remove / apt remove (use apt purge to remove configs)
  • Searching: dnf search / apt search
  • Universal Packages: Flatpak and Snap for distribution-independent apps

Chapter Quiz

Test your understanding of package management:

Exercises

Exercise 1: Install a Text Editor

  1. Search for the neovim package
  2. View its information
  3. Install it
  4. Verify it's installed

Exercise 2: System Update

  1. Check for available updates
  2. Update your system
  3. Review what was updated

Exercise 3: Package Discovery

  1. Search for image manipulation software
  2. Find and install gimp
  3. Use provides or apt-file to find which package provides ffmpeg

Exercise 4: Cleanup

  1. List installed packages
  2. Remove a package you don't need
  3. Clean the package cache
  4. Remove orphaned dependencies

Exercise 5: Flatpak (Optional)

  1. Install Flatpak support
  2. Add Flathub repository
  3. Install an app from Flathub (e.g., Spotify)
  4. Run the installed app

Expected Output

Exercise 1 Solution

$ dnf search neovim
========= Name & Summary Matched: neovim =========
neovim.x86_64 : A fork of Vim focused on extensibility

$ dnf info neovim
Name         : neovim
Version      : 0.9.5
Release      : 1.fc39
Architecture : x86_64
Size         : 3.2 M
Source       : neovim-0.9.5-1.fc39.src.rpm
Repository   : fedora
Summary      : A fork of Vim focused on extensibility
...

$ sudo dnf install neovim
[... output ...]
Installed:
  neovim.x86_64 0.9.5-1.fc39
Complete!

$ nvim --version
NVIM v0.9.5

Exercise 2 Solution

# Fedora:
$ sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
Last metadata expiration check: ...
Dependencies resolved.
================================================================================
 Package           Architecture   Version              Repository       Size
================================================================================
Upgrading:
 systemd           x86_64         254.10-1.fc39        updates         3.2 M
 systemd-libs      x86_64         254.10-1.fc39        updates         567 K
 ...
Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Upgrade  12 Packages

Total download size: 15 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
...

# Debian:
$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm InRelease
Get:2 http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security InRelease
Reading package lists... Done

$ sudo apt upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
  curl python3 systemd ...
12 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 8,921 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y

Exercise 3 Solution

$ dnf search image editor
========= Name & Summary Matched: =========
gimp.x86_64 : GNU Image Manipulation Program
krita.x86_64 : Digital Painting Application

$ sudo dnf install gimp
[... installation output ...]
Complete!

$ which ffmpeg
/usr/bin/ffmpeg

$ dnf provides /usr/bin/ffmpeg
ffmpeg-6.1.1-2.fc39.x86_64 : Multimedia framework
Repo        : fedora

Exercise 4 Solution

$ dnf list installed | grep -i test
test-package.x86_64      1.0-1      @fedora

$ sudo dnf remove test-package
Removed:
  test-package.x86_64 1.0-1
Complete!

$ sudo dnf clean all
24 files removed

$ sudo dnf autoremove
Removed:
  dependency-package.x86_64 2.0-1
Complete!

Next Chapter

In Chapter 9, you'll learn about Processes & Services - viewing running processes, monitoring system resources, managing systemd services, and understanding system logs.