Apt-get :: How do you use apt-get?

Quote (Jason @ May 30 2005,02:02)

I hope I'm not asking another stupid question, but how can someone get a package list like the one at http://damnsmalllinux.org/packages.html? This one seems to have not been updated in quite some time (still lists Scite and Ted as packages included on DSL, to name a couple).
I've already downloaded both the dsl-dpkg and gun-utils myDSL extensions, read the other resources pointed out in this forum/thread, and checked the other DSL documentation/help screens/etc. Also tried running "apt-get update;" that came up with a progress bar, said it was downloading some stuff, then went back to the command line.
Please let me know if I'm missing/forgetting something. Thanks!

If you want to see a list of installed packages (like the one on the homepage) just use the command dpkg -l from inside a X Terminal.

If you want to find what packages are available to download you can use synaptic as cbagger suggests. Alternatively you can search for a package using apt-cache search program_name and use apt-cache show package_name to show infomation on a particular package (I prefer the command line

Quote (adssse @ Mar. 29 2005,18:05)

edit sources.list to get the "Testing" sources, do this in your terminal

cd /etc/apt/
vi sources.list
remove the # on the testing line
and make a # on the stable

then
apt-get update
apt-get install "name of the program"

I am fairly new to this also so if I have said anything wrong please correct me.

After I change the entries, how do I save my changes in sources?

I got it
Since I don't really like that editor...
I used beaver.

Code Sample

sudo beaver

Then I opened the file and changed it, save, and quit. All working.

original here.