What’s the Difference Between apt and apt-get?

In the world of Linux, package management is a fundamental aspect of system administration. Two of the most commonly used commands for package management in Debian-based distributions like Ubuntu are apt and apt-get. While both are powerful tools, there are some key differences between the two that every Linux user should understand. In this article, we will delve into the differences between apt and apt-get.

Understanding apt and apt-get

apt-get is a low-level and powerful command-line tool that handles packages. It’s been a staple in Debian-based systems for many years. On the other hand, apt is a newer, more user-friendly command-line interface for package management. It combines the most commonly used features from apt-get and apt-cache, providing a more streamlined experience for end-users.

Key Differences

The main difference between apt and apt-get is their target user base and the level of interaction they offer. apt-get is more back-end and low-level, while apt is designed to be more user-friendly and intuitive. Here are some of the key differences:

Command Structure

apt simplifies the command structure, making it more intuitive for users. For instance, apt combines the functionality of apt-get and apt-cache. This means that you can use apt to handle package installations, removals, updates, and even to search for packages, which was previously done using apt-cache.

Output

apt provides a progress bar during the installation or removal of packages, making it easier for users to track the process. In contrast, apt-get provides a more detailed output, which can be overwhelming for new users.

Compatibility

apt is not backward compatible with apt-get. This means that scripts written for apt-get may not work with apt.

Package Saving

Starting from Ubuntu 16.04, apt does not save the downloaded packages by default, while apt-get does.

Commonly Used apt Commands

Here are some commonly used apt commands and their functionalities:

• apt list: This command is similar to dpkg list and can be used with flags like --installed or --upgradable.
• apt search: This command works like apt-cache search, but the results are sorted alphabetically.
• apt show: This is similar to apt-cache show, but it hides some less relevant details.
• apt update: This is equivalent to apt-get update, with color output and the number of upgradeable packages displayed.
• apt install and apt remove: These commands provide progress output during the installation or removal of packages.
• apt upgrade: This is equivalent to apt-get upgrade --with-new-pkgs, which installs new packages but does not remove existing ones.
• apt full-upgrade: This is a more meaningful name for dist-upgrade.
• apt edit-sources: This command allows editing of sources.list using $EDITOR.
• apt policy: This works like apt-cache policy.

Conclusion

In summary, while apt-get is a powerful tool for package management, apt provides a more user-friendly and streamlined interface that combines the best features of apt-get and apt-cache. Whether you choose to use apt or apt-get will depend on your specific needs and comfort level with each tool. However, for most end-users, apt offers a more intuitive and user-friendly package management experience.