Using apt-get
The dselect program is useful, because it
lets you browse a list of available packages, viewing their
descriptions and dependencies, and selecting desired packages for
installation. However, if you know the name of a package you want to
install, apt-get is often the easiest way to
install it. Before using apt-get, you must
configure the sources.list
file. This same file
is used when you choose the apt access method of
dselect. Even if you don’t plan on using
apt-get, you’ll find the information in the
following subsection useful.
Configuring the sources.list File
The sources.list
file resides in the
/etc/apt
directory. Like most other Linux
configuration files, it can be revised by using an ordinary text
editor, such as ae.
The file contains a series of lines, each specifying a source for packages. The lines are consulted serially, so it’s usually advantageous to place lines that specify local sources—such as a CD-ROM—ahead of lines that specify remote sources. Doing so can save many minutes of download time.
Each line has the form:
deb uri distribution components
The uri
is a universal resource
identifier (URI) the specifies the computer on which the packages
reside, the location of the packages, and the protocol used for
accessing the packages. It has the following form:
protocol://host/path
Four protocols—sometimes called URI types—are recognized:
- cdrom
A local CD-ROM drive.
- file
A directory of the local filesystem.
- http
A Web server.
- ftp
An FTP server.
The
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