System updates: apt-get or aptitude

[Kirkx]

LL system update script is using apt-get:

/usr/scripts/updates

Code:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

As I was trying out Debian Jessie lately I noticed that aptitude seems to be considered a better choice to do system updates than apt-get because it offers smarter handling of dependencies and has some other benefits. The equivalent command would be:

Code:

sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude safe-upgrade

I have done a test run of both commands (actual updates were aborted) and the output is quite different:

apt-get:


aptitude:


I'm wondering what experts think about all this.

[anon222]

apt-get and aptitude have different rules.

Code:

man aptitude

Code:

man apt-get

aptitude safe-upgrade upgrades currently installed packages and can install new packages to resolve new dependencies, but never removes packages unless they are unused.
apt-get upgrade upgrades currently installed packages, but never installs or removes packages.
So

Code:

apt-get upgrade

is comparable to

Code:

aptitude --no-new-installs safe-upgrade

Sometimes aptitude has better rules, sometimes apt. Linux Lite prefers apt-get.

[rokytnji]

Hmmmm

Code:

harry@harry-Latitude-XT2:~$ apt-cache policy debtags
debtags:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.12ubuntu2
  Version table:
     1.12ubuntu2 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe i386 Packages
harry@harry-Latitude-XT2:~$ apt-cache policy wajig
wajig:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 2.13
  Version table:
     2.13 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe i386 Packages
harry@harry-Latitude-XT2:~$ apt-cache policy aptitude
aptitude:
  Installed: 0.6.8.2-1ubuntu4
  Candidate: 0.6.8.2-1ubuntu4
  Version table:
*** 0.6.8.2-1ubuntu4 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
harry@harry-Latitude-XT2:~$

Just checking a few things. I did not know aptitude was also installed along side apt-get in Linux-Lite on a default
2.4 install. Not that I am sooooo bored that I would screw with dist-upgrade scripts or package management
myself in this distro.

I have other test boxes for breaking installs for that.

[anon222]

Just checking a few things. I did not know aptitude was also installed along side apt-get in Linux-Lite on a default
2.4 install. Not that I am sooooo bored that I would screw with dist-upgrade scripts or package management
myself in this distro.

I have other test boxes for breaking installs for that.

Smart decision Rokytnji.