Ubuntu is one of the most popular and secure open source operating systems available today. Many are those who choose this system as an alternative with better Windows tools, it also has several advanced tricks and shortcuts.
If you use this system you will have already realized that it has multiple advantages with programs that you can install for free. And if you don't have it yet, you can install Linux on your computer. These programs are made by the community that Linux has developed over time.
However, you may want to know how many packages you have installed on yours PC but you don't know how. This problem is very common for new Ubuntu users, as they are not familiar with Ubuntu features.
But don't worry, as we have prepared this article to show you how list all packages that you have installed. All you have to do is follow the steps that we will show you below and in a short time you will have this list.
What is a package?
First of all, before continuing with the guide we will talk a little about the packages you have installed in Ubuntu. So, if you are new to this world, you can learn more about this operating system and its features.
That said, let's start with the explanation, it's known as "Package" a compressed and structured file to be used as a tool for software management. With it the user can perform operations such as installing, compiling, deleting and browsing system configuration files.
Among the most popular types of packages there are 2 types: "Binary" and "source code". Binary packages contain all the information needed to rebuild programs from scratch without having them on the same computer.
Instead, the source code is just compressed files of the source code of the installed programs to be collected and installed. These make up most of the packages you can find on your PC, and listing them is an easy way to know which ones you have.
The procedure required to run the list of packages is very simple and you don't need to be an expert programmer to do that. Simply let yourself be guided by the steps that we will show you below and you will see that in a short time you will be able to create the package list. Don't forget that it's also possible to run Windows games and applications on Linux.
How to list all packages installed in Ubuntu?
The procedure is simple, just run a command on your PC to get it, making it one of the basic tools of this system. Next, we will show you how to run the list of installed packages in Ubuntu so that you can do it whenever you doubt that a package exists.
To do this you will use the “dpkg-query” program which will do the job of listing the packages you have on your pc. If you have a problem or don't know how to run this program, we recommend that you ask Linux technical support for help to fix it.
Step 1
The first thing you should do is run the program “Dpkg-query” in order to create the list of packages you have installed. The next thing will be to enter the following command and run it to get the package list:
- dpkg-query -W -f = '$ {Installed size} $ {Package} n' | sort –n
Step 2
By doing this program you will have the list from smallest to largest but still if you don't need to check a specific package you can too. All you have to do is execute a slightly different command from the one we showed you above. For example, if you need to find the package called Gimp use the following command:
- dpkg-query -W -f = '$ {Installed size} $ {Package} n' | sort -n | grep Gimp
As you can see, it is the same command, only at the end you need to add “Grep” followed by the name of the package you are interested in. This will show a list with all the packages you have installed with the name you type.
And voila, with this knowledge you will be able to create the list of all the packages that you have installed in your Ubuntu operating system. We hope this article was helpful to you and encourage you to continue investigating all versions and features of the Linux system.
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