Prior to this chapter, I've already walked you through several situations that required you to install a new package or two on your server, but we have yet to have any formal discussion on package management. In this chapter, we'll explore package management in more detail. The Ubuntu platform has a huge range of software available for it, featuring packages for everything from server administration to games. In fact, as of the time I write this chapter, there are over 50,000 packages in Ubuntu's repositories. That's a lot of software—and, in this chapter, we'll take a look at how to manage these packages. We'll cover how to install, remove, and update packages, as well as the use of related tools. As we go through these concepts, we will cover:
Understanding Linux package management
Installing and removing software
Searching for packages
Managing Apt repositories
Keeping your server up to date
Backing up and restoring packages
Making use of Aptitude
Installing...