Aptitude vs apt-get

[Skybear]

I was reading the Debian Wiki when I came across a piece titled “Nine reasons why you should be using aptitude instead of apt-get or dselect.” https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2004/04/msg03138.html

There’s a lot of information in that article and I’m still going through it. But what do other people here think about it? Is using “aptitude” better than using “apt-get”?

 

[deb_user]

I think aptitude is outdated, as is apt-get. The newest version of apt is the most capable. The Debian wiki is out of date on many, if not most, subjects. A wiki is a collaboration of lots of users, and not always the most modern, nor the most reliable source of information, from the big one, Wikipedia, on down. I've seen mistakes.

 

[Brickwizard]

I was reading the Debian Wiki when I came across a piece titled “Nine reasons why you should be using aptitude instead of apt-get or dselect.” https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2004/04/msg03138.html

you do realise that article is 22 years old a more up to date one [from 2025] is https://linuxconfig.org/apt-vs-apt-get-advanced-package-tool

 

[wizardfromoz]

I think aptitude is outdated, as is apt-get.

I'll refer you to what I said to you at another post in another thread.

https://www.linux.org/threads/updating-the-linux-software.66252/post-307104

Both apt and apt-get have their uses, I use both, but apt-get is used by every Debian-based distro installation, so it is definitely not obsolete.

Wiz

 

[Skybear]

you do realise that article is 22 years old a more up to date one [from 2025] is https://linuxconfig.org/apt-vs-apt-get-advanced-package-tool

Oh my. lol. No, I didn’t look at the date. The Wiki was recommended to me by @gvisoc in the last thread “After Installing Debian”, post #2. I had just assumed it was a recent article. Although, the typewriter font did seem odd.

 

[Brickwizard]

there is a list of common apt commands here https://linuxize.com/cheatsheet/apt/

 

[craigevil]

there is a list of common apt commands here https://linuxize.com/cheatsheet/apt/

It has a few errors. You do not need sudo to search, show, policy. Otherwise nice cheatsheet.

A neat guide to all 3 aptitude, apt, apt-get https://wiki.debian.org/AptCLI

I don't think I have ever used Aptitude in all the years I have ran Debian.

 

[Brickwizard]

I don't think I have ever used Aptitude in all the years I have ran Debian.

the last time I used it must be the late 90's early 2000's and i have been using just apt [sudo apt update] as against apt-get since around 2015

 

[deb_user]

the last time I used it must be the late 90's early 2000's and i have been using just apt [sudo apt update] as against apt-get since around 2015

You should investigate the newest version of apt. It's far advanced from what it was in 2015.