[Ma-linux] On Ubuntu package handling (was CentOS up2date - Best Practices)

[DonJr]

On Tue, 2008-01-08 at 11:42 -0500, Kevin Cole wrote:
> On Jan 7, 2008 10:49 PM, DonJr <djr1952 at hotpop.com> wrote:
> 
> > How about the simple one of:
> >   grep '^Package:' /var/lib/dpkg/status | tail -3
> >
> > The dpkg status file is updated in the order that packages are
> > installed.
> >   (and even apt-get uses dpkg under the hood.)
> 
> Thanks.  That's a start, though when I said "installed" I should have
> specified "installed or updated", which that doesn't get me.

I new there was a possible hole in that idea.

>   The best
> that I've found (I think) has been "ls -lt /var/lib/dpkg/info/ | most"
> -- where most is my pager of choice.

Have you ever looked at the history feature of synaptic:
  file -> history

Or take at look at:
 <http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog>

The tittle is:

  "9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system?
   I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have
   occured!"

It shows how a simple addition to /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg will cause it to
log every invokations (even those by other front ends) and what dpkg
does.

 {-: In other words have a look at the file: /var/log/dpkg.log <GRIN> ;}


> And while I'm bashing (no pun intended) the
> dpkg/dselect/apt-get/aptitude/synaptic/adept/whatever way, the other
> nice rpm feature is "rpm --verify {package}" to see which files have
> been altered since distribution, and get a brief idea of how.  Once
> upon a time I downloaded some extra package that sorta, kinda did
> that, but it was nowhere near as nice.

To do this:
 (first)
   $ sudo apt-get install debsums

{ or  $ wajig install debsums }

debsums - Verify installed Debian package files against MD5 checksum
          lists from /var/lib/dpkg/info/*.md5sums.

It's invoked as:
   debsums
or
   debsums  one or more package name(s)

{-: I knew there was a way to do this, I just had to keep looking.
     Google: dpkg verify
     about the 16 hit or so.
 :-}

> Still, I've been rather pleased w/ my Ubuntu systems.

I too am in general very pleased with Ubuntu.