A package manager automates installing, updating, removing, and managing software and dependencies.
graph TD
PKG[Package Managers] --> DEB[Debian-based\napt / dpkg]
PKG --> RPM[Red Hat-based\ndnf / yum / rpm]
PKG --> ARCH[Arch Linux\npacman / yay]
PKG --> GENERIC[Universal\nsnap / flatpak / AppImage]
DEB --> DEB_DISTROS["Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, Pop!_OS"]
RPM --> RPM_DISTROS["RHEL, CentOS, Fedora, openSUSE"]
ARCH --> ARCH_DISTROS["Arch, Manjaro, EndeavourOS"]
GENERIC --> GEN_DISTROS["Any Linux distro"]
# Update package list (always do this first)
sudo apt update
# Upgrade installed packages
sudo apt upgrade # Upgrade all upgradable
sudo apt full-upgrade # Upgrade + handle dependency changes
sudo apt dist-upgrade # Full upgrade including removed packages
# Install
sudo apt install nginx
sudo apt install nginx mysql-server php8.2 # Multiple packages
sudo apt install -y nginx # Auto-yes (no prompt)
sudo apt install ./package.deb # Install local .deb file
# Remove
sudo apt remove nginx # Remove package, keep config
sudo apt purge nginx # Remove package + config files
sudo apt autoremove # Remove unused dependencies
# Search and info
apt search nginx # Search packages
apt show nginx # Package details
apt list --installed # List installed
apt list --upgradable # Show upgradable packages
# Cache management
sudo apt clean # Remove downloaded .deb files
sudo apt autoclean # Remove old .deb files
du -sh /var/cache/apt/archives/ # Cache size
# Source repositories: /etc/apt/sources.list and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/# Install local .deb
sudo dpkg -i package.deb
sudo apt install -f # Fix broken dependencies after dpkg
# Remove
sudo dpkg -r packagename # Remove (keep config)
sudo dpkg -P packagename # Purge (remove + config)
# Query
dpkg -l # List all installed
dpkg -l | grep nginx # Filter
dpkg -l "nginx*" # Wildcard
dpkg -s nginx # Package status/info
dpkg -L nginx # Files installed by package
dpkg -S /usr/bin/nginx # Which package owns this file# Sync and update (always do together)
sudo pacman -Syu # Sync + full system update
# Install
sudo pacman -S nginx # Install package
sudo pacman -S nginx git vim # Multiple
# Remove
sudo pacman -R nginx # Remove package
sudo pacman -Rs nginx # Remove + unused deps
sudo pacman -Rns nginx # Remove + deps + config files
# Search and info
pacman -Ss nginx # Search in repos
pacman -Qi nginx # Info on installed package
pacman -Ql nginx # List files of installed package
pacman -Qo /usr/bin/nginx # Which package owns file
pacman -Q # List all installed
pacman -Qdt # Orphaned packages (unused deps)
# Cache
sudo pacman -Sc # Clean old package cache
sudo pacman -Scc # Clean all cache
# AUR (via yay or paru)
yay -S package # AUR + official repos
yay -Syu # Full update including AUR# dnf (modern, Fedora, RHEL 8+)
sudo dnf update # Update all
sudo dnf install nginx # Install
sudo dnf remove nginx # Remove
sudo dnf search nginx # Search
sudo dnf info nginx # Package info
sudo dnf list installed # Installed packages
sudo dnf autoremove # Remove unused deps
sudo dnf clean all # Clean cache
# yum (older, CentOS 7)
sudo yum update
sudo yum install nginx
sudo yum remove nginx# Snap: containerized, auto-updated packages from Canonical
sudo snap install code # VS Code
sudo snap install --classic code # Classic confinement (more access)
snap list # List installed snaps
sudo snap remove code # Remove
snap find "text editor" # Search
snap info code # Info# Flatpak: sandboxed apps, works on any distro
flatpak install flathub io.github.flathub.Desktop
flatpak run io.github.flathub.Desktop
flatpak list # Installed
flatpak update # Update all
flatpak uninstall <app-id> # Remove
flatpak search "app name" # Search# AppImage: self-contained executable, no installation
chmod +x AppName.AppImage # Make executable
./AppName.AppImage # Run directly
# Integration with AppImageLauncher for menu entriesWhen a package isn't in repos, compile from source:
# Standard configure/make workflow
tar -xzvf software-1.0.tar.gz
cd software-1.0/
./configure --prefix=/usr/local # Check deps, generate Makefile
make # Compile
sudo make install # Install to prefix
# Install build dependencies first
sudo apt install build-essential # gcc, g++, make
sudo apt install libssl-dev # Example dependency
# CMake-based projects
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local
make -j$(nproc) # Parallel compile
sudo make install# Silent install (EXE)
Start-Process setup.exe -ArgumentList "/S", "/quiet" -Wait
# MSI install
msiexec /i package.msi /quiet /norestart
# MSI with logging
msiexec /i package.msi /quiet /l*v install.log
# Common switches:
# EXE: /S /silent /quiet /Q
# MSI: /quiet /passive /norestart /l*v log.txt# Install
winget install --id Microsoft.VSCode
winget install --id Git.Git
winget install "Visual Studio Code"
# Search
winget search vscode
winget show --id Microsoft.VSCode
# Update
winget upgrade --all
winget upgrade --id Microsoft.VSCode
# Uninstall
winget uninstall --id Microsoft.VSCode
# List installed
winget list
# Export/import (for new machine setup)
winget export -o packages.json
winget import -i packages.json# Install Chocolatey first (admin PowerShell)
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
[System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072
iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))
# Use Chocolatey
choco install git
choco install git vscode nodejs -y # Multiple, auto-yes
choco upgrade all # Update all
choco uninstall git
choco list # Installed packages
choco search nodejs # SearchEnvironment variables configure system and application behavior.
# View
env # All variables
echo $PATH # Specific variable
printenv PATH # Same
# Session-level (lost on terminal close)
export MY_VAR="hello"
export PATH="$PATH:/new/path"
# Permanent (add to shell config)
# For bash: ~/.bashrc (interactive) or ~/.bash_profile (login)
# For zsh: ~/.zshrc
echo 'export MY_VAR="hello"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/new/path"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc # Reload
# System-wide
sudo nano /etc/environment # Key=Value format (no export)
sudo nano /etc/profile # Shell scripts
# Important variables
$PATH # Colon-separated list of dirs where commands are found
$HOME # Home directory
$USER # Current username
$SHELL # Current shell
$LANG # Locale/language
$EDITOR # Default text editor
$JAVA_HOME # Java installation path
$PYTHONPATH # Python module search path# View
$env:PATH
Get-ChildItem Env: # All variables
[Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("PATH", "User")
# Session-level
$env:MY_VAR = "hello"
$env:PATH += ";C:\new\path"
# Permanent - User level
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("MY_VAR", "hello", "User")
# Permanent - System level (admin)
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("MY_VAR", "hello", "Machine")
# Via GUI: System Properties → Advanced → Environment VariablesPATH tells the OS where to look for executables when you type a command.
# Linux
echo $PATH
# /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/home/alice/.local/bin
# Add to PATH permanently
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
# Windows
$env:PATH
# C:\Windows\System32;C:\Windows;C:\Program Files\Git\bin;...# pip
pip install requests # Install
pip install requests==2.28.0 # Specific version
pip install -r requirements.txt # Install from file
pip uninstall requests
pip list # List installed
pip freeze > requirements.txt # Export installed packages
pip install --upgrade requests # Update
# Virtual environments (isolate project deps)
python3 -m venv venv # Create
source venv/bin/activate # Activate (Linux)
venv\Scripts\activate # Activate (Windows)
deactivate # Deactivate
# pipx: Install Python apps globally in isolated envs
pipx install httpie
pipx upgrade-all# npm
npm install # Install from package.json
npm install express # Install package locally
npm install -g nodemon # Install globally
npm install express@4.18.0 # Specific version
npm uninstall express
npm update
npm list # List local packages
npm list -g # List global packages
npm run start # Run script from package.json
# yarn
yarn install
yarn add express
yarn global add nodemon
yarn remove express- Linux CLI ←
- Services & Processes ← — starting installed services
- Cloud & Remote Access →
- Git Fundamentals → — version-controlled projects