How To Check Package Availability In Debian and Ubuntu Repositories

This blog post explains how to check for package availability in Debian and Ubuntu, both locally and remotely. A handy Bash script is also provided to automate the process.

Checking Package Availability via Command Line

To check if a package exists in your Debian or Ubuntu repositories, use the apt search command:

$ apt search libpam-cracklib

This searches for packages matching the search term. No output means the package isn't available. A positive result will show details like:

<code>libpam-cracklib/oldstable 1.4.0-9 deb11u1 amd64
  PAM module to enable cracklib support</code>

Alternatively, apt-cache show provides detailed package information:

$ apt-cache show libpam-cracklib

However, neither command definitively states availability for a specific Debian or Ubuntu version (e.g., Debian 12).

Checking Package Availability via Official Website

For version-specific checks, use the official package repositories:

• Debian: Visit https://www.php.cn/link/e36078a8311f5fb8c4d43f2853552d04, enter the package name, and select the desired release (e.g., "stable" for Debian 12).

• Ubuntu: Visit https://www.php.cn/link/f828f1f06bbc62fe4540cdcc823d401f, enter the package name, and select the distribution version (e.g., "focal").

This web-based method works from any system with a browser.

A Bash Script for Automated Checking: dpkg-repo-query

A Bash script, dpkg-repo-query, simplifies the process. Clone the repository:

$ git clone https://gist.github.com/ostechnix/86362cb9361f7f5ccf7de43a33e915de dpkg-repo-query

Make it executable:

$ cd dpkg-repo-query
$ chmod  x dpkg-repo-query.sh

Run as sudo:

$ sudo ./dpkg-repo-query.sh

The script prompts for the package name, distribution (debian/ubuntu), and version (codename or number, e.g., "bookworm" for Debian 12, "jammy" for Ubuntu 22.04). The output is a table showing package availability.

Conclusion

This guide offers multiple methods for verifying package availability in Debian and Ubuntu, catering to various needs and technical skills. The provided Bash script streamlines the process for frequent checks. Remember to consult the official repositories for definitive version-specific information.

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