A toolkit for packages

which-pkg-broke

The which-pkg-broke command displays all the dependencies for a package and when each was installed. This information can take a few seconds to retrieve and quickly fills several screens with its output, so you might want to pipe the command through less.

In theory, you can then identify which packages might be causing problems by correlating when installation problems began with which packages were installed around that time (Figure 10). In practice, however, this command has only limited usefulness, because not all packages record their installation time.

Figure 10: The which-pkg-broke command provides information that can help you repair a broken system.

Hands-On Administration

Like dpkg-reconfigure [3], the scripts in the Debian Goodies collection are part of the unique technology that Debian has built during the past two decades. This technology has been passed along, mostly unchanged, to its derivatives – even those that emphasize the desktop rather than the command line.

The opportunities that this technology offers can be overwhelming; however, it provides a hands-on approach to administering your system that few other Linux alternatives can match.

Take the time now to learn what Debian Goodies offers, making mental notes about the scripts you imagine you are most likely to use. Then, whether you are troubleshooting your system or simply curious about different aspects of your system, you will know what resources are available to you.

Infos

  1. Debian Goodies: http://packages.debian.org/sid/debian-goodies
  2. Debian Popularity Contest: http://popcon.debian.org/
  3. "Command Line: dpkg-reconfigure" by Bruce Byfield, Linux Pro Magazine, October 2013, pg. 76

The Author

Bruce Byfield is a computer journalist and a freelance writer and editor specializing in free and open source software. In addition to his writing projects, he is also a fan of parrots, heavy exercise, British folk-rock, science fiction and 19th century novels. In his spare time, Bruce writes about Northwest Coast art. You can read more of his work at http://brucebyfield.wordpress.com

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Goody Bag

    Debian Goodies lets you manage and troubleshoot packages from the command line.

  • Packages in systemd

    You might need to tweak your Debian or Ubuntu packages to get them to work with systemd.

  • lsof

    In Linux, everything is a file – directories, devices, pipes – so lsof (list open files) reveals what's happening on your system.

  • Command Line – Package Management

    When human error stumps the Debian package manager, familiar tools like apt-get, aptitude, and dpkg can help restore functionality.

  • apt vs. apt-get

    The apt command-line utility is a successor to the well known apt-get, offering simpler installation and maintenance for the DEB packages used with Debian, Ubuntu, Knoppix, and many other Linux distros.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News