dselect - console Debian package handling frontend
dselect [--admindir <directory>] [--help] [--version] [--licence |
--license] [--expert] [--debug <file> | -D <file>] [<action>]
dselect is the primary user interface for installing, removing and managing
Debian GNU/Linux packages. It is an front-end to dpkg(8). Normally
dselect is invoked without parameters, but some commandline
parameters are still available.
The usage of dselect is pretty self-explanatory, and an internal helpsystem
is included, which describes the keystrokes and some general
concepts. Read the help.
ACTIONS [Toc] [Back]
Access Chooses an access `method' to use to find package repository. By
default, there exist several methods such as "floppy", "harddisk",
"cdrom", but other packages you install can provide additional
methods, e.g. "apt" or "multi_cd" etc.
Update Updates list of packages available to dpkg/dselect with data
from the chosen repository Packages file(s).
Select Selects individual packages to install.
Install [Toc] [Back]
Installs selected packages.
Config Configures any previously not configured packages.
Remove Removes or purges deselected packages.
Quit Exit dselect (successfully).
All options can be specified both on the commandline and in the dselect
configuration file /etc/dpkg/dselect.cfg. Each line in the configuration
file is either an option (exactly the same as the commandline
option but without leading dashes) or a comment (if it starts with a
#).
--admindir <directory>
Changes the directory where the dpkg `status', `available' and
similar files are located. This defaults to /var/lib/dpkg and
normally there shouldn't be any need to change it.
--debug <file> | -D<file>
Turn on debugging. Debugging information is sent to <file>.
--expert
Turns on expert mode, i.e. doesn't display possibly annoying
help messages.
--help Print a brief help text and exit successfully.
--licence | --license
Displays the dselect copyright and license information and exits
successfully.
--version
Print version information and exit successfully.
The dselect package selection interface is confusing or even alarming
to a new user.
dselect doesn't handle Recommends: field very well, and doesn't understand
Replaces: at all.
There is no easy way to automatically download and install packages via
anonymous FTP with default access methods (APT does this).
dpkg(8), deb(5).
dselect was written by Ian Jackson (ijackson@gnu.ai.mit.edu). Full list
of contributors may be found in `dselect --license'.
This manual page was written by Juho Vuori <javuori@cc.helsinki.fi> and
updated by Josip Rodin.
Debian Project January 2000 DSELECT(8)
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