APT2 to Accelerate Debian Package Installation
Debian and Ubuntu developer Julian Andres Klode has reported in his blog about the progress of his APT2 software, an alternative implementation of the Debian Advanced Packaging Tool (APT).
APT2, whose development Klode began in August 2009, consists mainly of the libapt library that prepares package management functions. The capt command line tool provides the front end. The programmer implements the glib cross-platform library and the new Vala object-oriented language for it.
The database backend used most recently is SQLite 3, which can store comprehensive metadata and converts queries to common SQL statements. It also helps increase the performance of the APT implementation. According to Klode, capt searches eight times faster than aptitude and around three times faster than apt-cache.
The capt CLI uses the readline library, which is also in bash, and thus provides an interactive package shell with history (and command completion to follow). Some usage examples:
jak@hp:~/Desktop/APT2:temp$ capt
apt$ help
APT2 0.0.20091213 command-line frontend
Commands:
config dump Dump the configuration
config get OPTION Get the given option
config set OPTION VALUE Set the given option
search EXPRESSION Search for the given expression
show PACKAGE Show all versions of the given package
sources list Print a list of all sources
version Print the version of APT2
Klode hopes to have a first release of APT2 completed by Christmas 2009, as he indicates in his blog. It will partly depend on whether Vala 0.7.9 or a newer version is ready.
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.
News
-
AlmaLinux Unveils New Hardware Certification Process
The AlmaLinux Hardware Certification Program run by the Certification Special Interest Group (SIG) aims to ensure seamless compatibility between AlmaLinux and a wide range of hardware configurations.
-
Wind River Introduces eLxr Pro Linux Solution
eLxr Pro offers an end-to-end Linux solution backed by expert commercial support.
-
Juno Tab 3 Launches with Ubuntu 24.04
Anyone looking for a full-blown Linux tablet need look no further. Juno has released the Tab 3.
-
New KDE Slimbook Plasma Available for Preorder
Powered by an AMD Ryzen CPU, the latest KDE Slimbook laptop is powerful enough for local AI tasks.
-
Rhino Linux Announces Latest "Quick Update"
If you prefer your Linux distribution to be of the rolling type, Rhino Linux delivers a beautiful and reliable experience.
-
Plasma Desktop Will Soon Ask for Donations
The next iteration of Plasma has reached the soft feature freeze for the 6.2 version and includes a feature that could be divisive.
-
Linux Market Share Hits New High
For the first time, the Linux market share has reached a new high for desktops, and the trend looks like it will continue.
-
LibreOffice 24.8 Delivers New Features
LibreOffice is often considered the de facto standard office suite for the Linux operating system.
-
Deepin 23 Offers Wayland Support and New AI Tool
Deepin has been considered one of the most beautiful desktop operating systems for a long time and the arrival of version 23 has bolstered that reputation.
-
CachyOS Adds Support for System76's COSMIC Desktop
The August 2024 release of CachyOS includes support for the COSMIC desktop as well as some important bits for video.