Question 1

What Are Linux Package Managers?

Accepted Answer

Package managers handle installing, updating, and removing software on Linux. Each distribution family uses its own — apt for Debian/Ubuntu, dnf for Fedora, yum for RHEL/CentOS, pacman for Arch, and apk for Alpine.

Question 2

How to Use This Tool

Accepted Answer

Select the package managers you want to compare, then search for an operation like "install" or "update." The tool shows equivalent commands side by side so you can translate between distributions instantly.

Question 3

When This Comes in Handy

Accepted Answer

If you manage servers across multiple distributions or write Dockerfiles that target different base images, knowing the equivalent package manager commands saves time and prevents errors.

Question 4

apt vs apt-get

Accepted Answer

On Debian and Ubuntu, apt is the friendlier front end with progress bars and combined commands such as apt list --upgradable. apt-get and apt-cache are the older tools with a stable command-line interface, which is why scripts and Dockerfiles use them — apt itself prints a warning that its CLI may change. Both use the same repositories and the same package database, so you can mix them freely.

Question 5

yum vs dnf

Accepted Answer

dnf replaced yum on Fedora and on RHEL, CentOS Stream, Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux 8 and later. On those systems yum is just an alias for dnf, so old yum commands keep working. RHEL 7 and CentOS 7 still use the original yum. Fedora 41 moved to DNF5, a faster rewrite that keeps nearly all of the same commands.

Question 6

Which package provides a file?

Accepted Answer

For a file that's already installed: dpkg -S /usr/bin/curl on Debian and Ubuntu, rpm -qf /usr/bin/curl on RHEL and Fedora, pacman -Qo /usr/bin/curl on Arch, and apk info --who-owns /usr/bin/curl on Alpine. To find a package that would provide a missing file or command: dnf provides '*/bin/htop', apt-file search bin/htop on Debian (install apt-file and run apt-file update first), or pacman -F htop after syncing the file database with pacman -Fy.

Question 7

List installed packages and versions

Accepted Answer

apt list --installed or dpkg -l on Debian and Ubuntu; dnf list installed or rpm -qa on RHEL and Fedora; pacman -Q on Arch (pacman -Qe for explicitly installed packages only); apk info -v on Alpine. Pipe any of them into grep to check for one package, for example dpkg -l | grep openssl.

Question 8

Hold a package at its current version

Accepted Answer

apt-mark hold nginx stops apt from upgrading nginx until you run apt-mark unhold nginx. On dnf, the versionlock plugin does the same: dnf versionlock add nginx (on DNF4 install python3-dnf-plugin-versionlock first). On Arch, add the package to IgnorePkg in /etc/pacman.conf. Hold sparingly — a held package also stops receiving its security fixes.

Question 9

Package managers inside Dockerfiles

Accepted Answer

Keep images small and builds reproducible. On Debian and Ubuntu bases use apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends curl && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* in a single RUN, so the package index never lands in a layer. On Alpine, apk add --no-cache curl skips the cache entirely. On Fedora and RHEL-based images, follow dnf install -y curl with dnf clean all in the same RUN.

Operation	apt	yum	dnf	pacman	apk
Install / Remove
Install a package	`sudo apt install <pkg>`	`sudo yum install <pkg>`	`sudo dnf install <pkg>`	`sudo pacman -S <pkg>`	`sudo apk add <pkg>`
Remove a package	`sudo apt remove <pkg>`	`sudo yum remove <pkg>`	`sudo dnf remove <pkg>`	`sudo pacman -R <pkg>`	`sudo apk del <pkg>`
Remove with dependencies	`sudo apt autoremove <pkg>`	`sudo yum autoremove <pkg>`	`sudo dnf autoremove <pkg>`	`sudo pacman -Rns <pkg>`	`sudo apk del <pkg> && sudo apk fix`
Install from local file	`sudo dpkg -i <file.deb>`	`sudo yum localinstall <file.rpm>`	`sudo dnf install <file.rpm>`	`sudo pacman -U <file.pkg.tar.zst>`	`sudo apk add --allow-untrusted <file.apk>`
Downgrade a package	`sudo apt install <pkg>=<version>`	`sudo yum downgrade <pkg>`	`sudo dnf downgrade <pkg>`	`sudo pacman -U <older-pkg-file>`	`sudo apk add <pkg>=<version>`
Update / Upgrade
Update package list	`sudo apt update`	`sudo yum check-update`	`sudo dnf check-update`	`sudo pacman -Sy`	`sudo apk update`
Upgrade all packages	`sudo apt upgrade`	`sudo yum update`	`sudo dnf upgrade`	`sudo pacman -Syu`	`sudo apk upgrade`
List available updates	`apt list --upgradable`	`yum check-update`	`dnf check-update`	`pacman -Qu`	`apk version -l '<'`
Query / Info
Search for a package	`apt search <keyword>`	`yum search <keyword>`	`dnf search <keyword>`	`pacman -Ss <keyword>`	`apk search <keyword>`
Show package info	`apt show <pkg>`	`yum info <pkg>`	`dnf info <pkg>`	`pacman -Si <pkg>`	`apk info -a <pkg>`
List installed packages	`apt list --installed`	`yum list installed`	`dnf list installed`	`pacman -Q`	`apk list -I`
Show package dependencies	`apt depends <pkg>`	`yum deplist <pkg>`	`dnf repoquery --requires <pkg>`	`pacman -Si <pkg> \| grep Depends`	`apk info -R <pkg>`
Show which package owns a file	`dpkg -S <file>`	`yum provides <file>`	`dnf provides <file>`	`pacman -Qo <file>`	`apk info --who-owns <file>`
List files in a package	`dpkg -L <pkg>`	`rpm -ql <pkg>`	`dnf repoquery -l <pkg>`	`pacman -Ql <pkg>`	`apk info -L <pkg>`
Download package without installing	`apt download <pkg>`	`yumdownloader <pkg>`	`dnf download <pkg>`	`pacman -Sw <pkg>`	`apk fetch <pkg>`
Show package changelog	`apt changelog <pkg>`	`yum changelog <pkg>`	`dnf changelog <pkg>`	`pacman -Qc <pkg>`	`N/A`
Maintenance
Clean cache	`sudo apt clean`	`sudo yum clean all`	`sudo dnf clean all`	`sudo pacman -Sc`	`sudo apk cache clean`
Hold / pin a package version	`sudo apt-mark hold <pkg>`	`echo "exclude=<pkg>" >> /etc/yum.conf`	`sudo dnf versionlock add <pkg>`	`Edit IgnorePkg in /etc/pacman.conf`	`apk add <pkg>=<version>`
Repository
Add a repository	`sudo add-apt-repository <repo>`	`sudo yum-config-manager --add-repo <url>`	`sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo <url>`	`Edit /etc/pacman.conf`	`echo "<url>" >> /etc/apk/repositories`
Remove a repository	`sudo add-apt-repository --remove <repo>`	`sudo rm /etc/yum.repos.d/<repo>.repo`	`sudo rm /etc/yum.repos.d/<repo>.repo`	`Edit /etc/pacman.conf`	`Edit /etc/apk/repositories`
List repositories	`apt-cache policy`	`yum repolist`	`dnf repolist`	`cat /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist`	`cat /etc/apk/repositories`

apt

yum

dnf

pacman

apk

Install / Remove

Install a package

Remove a package

Remove with dependencies

Install from local file

Downgrade a package

Update / Upgrade

Update package list

Upgrade all packages

List available updates

Query / Info

Search for a package

Show package info

List installed packages

Show package dependencies

Show which package owns a file

List files in a package

Download package without installing

Show package changelog

Maintenance

Clean cache

Hold / pin a package version

Repository

Add a repository

Remove a repository

List repositories

Guide