{"slug": "apt", "name": "apt", "category": "dev-libs", "category_name": "Libraries and frameworks", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 7, "warners": 0, "score": 4.354, "rising": -1.31, "first": "2025-11-04", "latest": "2026-10-16", "why": "apt is/was the best thing since recycled electrons", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 3, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "apt is/was the best thing since recycled electrons", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["apt"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 784471761, "item_id": 49029485, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49029485", "by": "didriksg", "date": "2026-07-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Brew is nice and all, but it's nothing compared to pacman/apt.", "excerpt": "I'm actually in the opposite position. I've used Linux for 10 years until I recently had to switch to Mac due to work. I started off in Ubuntu in 2016 and moved to Arch in 2018. I ran it until I started in a new job. One thing that Linux just gets right compared to macos and windows is the package managers. Brew is nice and all, but it's nothing compared to pacman/apt. I also miss it for the window managers. Coming f", "context": "former Linux user now on Mac for work", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What Linux distro do you daily drive?"}, {"id": 783421216, "item_id": 48963826, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48963826", "by": "LtWorf", "date": "2026-07-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "apt-get is kinda old, \"apt\" is the new thing.", "excerpt": "apt-get is kinda old, \"apt\" is the new thing. It unifies some commands like apt-get, apt-cache, and probably something else but those are the only 2 I use :D", "context": "", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "apt-get", "story": "Typing Speed Test, but for Developers"}, {"id": 747374609, "item_id": 46710913, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710913", "by": "awesome_dude", "date": "2026-01-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "apt is/was the best thing since recycled electrons", "excerpt": "I too did this, around 2003/4 It was during my great \"Try all the Linux\" period, and I had trouble with it compiling on my slackware system, but it compiled just fine on my red hat system (before RHEL) It was a toy for me, I built it just to see if I could, built it a few times, but was running red hat or slackware as my daily driver. During that period I also tried the BSDs, Free, Dragonfly, Net, and Open It was so ", "context": "", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux from Scratch"}, {"id": 733094930, "item_id": 45818433, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45818433", "by": "pxc", "date": "2025-11-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There's also an official new porcelain in APT itself, aptly called \"apt\".", "excerpt": "Sure it is\u00b9 (kinda): --no-upgrade Do not upgrade packages; when used in conjunction with install, no-upgrade will prevent packages on the command line from being upgraded if they are already installed. Configuration Item: APT::Get::Upgrade. The canonical way to do the thing you want via apt-get is `apt-get install`. And if you read the man page from start to finish, it'd be clear to you... but it is tucked away there", "context": "", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Codemaps: Understand Code, Before You Vibe It"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [{"by": "bayindirh", "context": "built a Debian derivative distribution", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50115572", "date": "2026-10-16"}, {"by": "didriksg", "context": "former Linux user now on Mac for work", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49029485", "date": "2026-07-23"}, {"by": "SomeHacker44", "context": "Ubuntu user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48501701", "date": "2026-06-12"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["package management", "system package management", "package management on ubuntu"], "compared": [{"slug": "apt-get", "name": "apt-get", "co": 3, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "ubuntu", "name": "Ubuntu", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "homebrew", "name": "Homebrew", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "flatpak", "name": "Flatpak", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "debian", "name": "Debian", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "snap", "name": "Snap", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50102423", "title": "Ubuntu 26.10 (Stonking Stingray) released", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49029345", "title": "Ask HN: What Linux distro do you daily drive?", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48961504", "title": "Typing Speed Test, but for Developers", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48586767", "title": "Package Managers need global hooks", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48490024", "title": "Homebrew 6.0.0", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46709727", "title": "Linux from Scratch", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"neutral": 2}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {"neutral": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 801849154, "item_id": 50115572, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50115572", "by": "bayindirh", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "apt/dnf/emerge/etc. are main package managers of the systems", "excerpt": "> you can't opt out of apt without changing distros Yes, however apt/dnf/emerge/etc. are main package managers of the systems. They don't slowly overtake packages you use or the repositories of other distributions do not quietly offload package installations to other package managers (e.g.: apt install firefox triggers snap installation in Ubuntu. This is malicious behavior). Brew, flatpak, etc. live alongside your d", "context": "built a Debian derivative distribution", "use_case": "system package management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ubuntu 26.10 (Stonking Stingray) released"}, {"id": 784471761, "item_id": 49029485, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49029485", "by": "didriksg", "date": "2026-07-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Brew is nice and all, but it's nothing compared to pacman/apt.", "excerpt": "I'm actually in the opposite position. I've used Linux for 10 years until I recently had to switch to Mac due to work. I started off in Ubuntu in 2016 and moved to Arch in 2018. I ran it until I started in a new job. One thing that Linux just gets right compared to macos and windows is the package managers. Brew is nice and all, but it's nothing compared to pacman/apt. I also miss it for the window managers. Coming f", "context": "former Linux user now on Mac for work", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What Linux distro do you daily drive?"}, {"id": 783421216, "item_id": 48963826, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48963826", "by": "LtWorf", "date": "2026-07-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "apt-get is kinda old, \"apt\" is the new thing.", "excerpt": "apt-get is kinda old, \"apt\" is the new thing. It unifies some commands like apt-get, apt-cache, and probably something else but those are the only 2 I use :D", "context": "", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "apt-get", "story": "Typing Speed Test, but for Developers"}, {"id": 778267152, "item_id": 48641697, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48641697", "by": "lelanthran", "date": "2026-06-23", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Apt, rpm.", "excerpt": ">> \"Consider this, the package manager I use has not been infected in over a decade [..]\" > Which package manager do you mean? Apt, rpm. Anyway, don't you think that this line: > Which package manager do you mean? Gives off \"'No way to prevent this problem', says users of only package manager that has this problem\" vibes?", "context": "", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Package Managers need global hooks"}, {"id": 776027216, "item_id": 48501701, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48501701", "by": "SomeHacker44", "date": "2026-06-12", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Usually I try to get an Apt source (I use Ubuntu).", "excerpt": "Curious about this. Usually I try to get an Apt source (I use Ubuntu). Why would I want to use brew on Linux? I stopped using Macs and brew around 2018 when Apple started closing down it's macOS for a few years and got sick of it. Thanks!", "context": "Ubuntu user", "use_case": "package management on Ubuntu", "switched_from": "", "story": "Homebrew 6.0.0"}, {"id": 747374609, "item_id": 46710913, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710913", "by": "awesome_dude", "date": "2026-01-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "apt is/was the best thing since recycled electrons", "excerpt": "I too did this, around 2003/4 It was during my great \"Try all the Linux\" period, and I had trouble with it compiling on my slackware system, but it compiled just fine on my red hat system (before RHEL) It was a toy for me, I built it just to see if I could, built it a few times, but was running red hat or slackware as my daily driver. During that period I also tried the BSDs, Free, Dragonfly, Net, and Open It was so ", "context": "", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux from Scratch"}, {"id": 733094930, "item_id": 45818433, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45818433", "by": "pxc", "date": "2025-11-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There's also an official new porcelain in APT itself, aptly called \"apt\".", "excerpt": "Sure it is\u00b9 (kinda): --no-upgrade Do not upgrade packages; when used in conjunction with install, no-upgrade will prevent packages on the command line from being upgraded if they are already installed. Configuration Item: APT::Get::Upgrade. The canonical way to do the thing you want via apt-get is `apt-get install`. And if you read the man page from start to finish, it'd be clear to you... but it is tucked away there", "context": "", "use_case": "package management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Codemaps: Understand Code, Before You Vibe It"}]}