apt-cache-kommandoen kan vise mye av den informasjonen som er lagret i APTs interne database. Denne informasjonen er en slags buffer siden den er samlet inn fra ulike kilder oppført isources.list-filen. Dette skjer under apt update-operasjonen.
apt-cache command can do keyword-based package searches with apt-cache search keyword. It can also display the headers of the package's available versions with apt-cache show package. This command provides the package's description, its dependencies, the name of its maintainer, etc. Note that apt search, apt show, aptitude search, and aptitude show work in the same way.
apt-cache dumpavail displays the headers of all available versions of all packages. apt-cache pkgnames displays the list of all the packages which appear at least once in the cache.
apt-cache policy, beskrevet i følgende del.
apt-cache policy command displays the pinning priorities and distribution properties of each package source as explained in Seksjon 6.2.5, «Styring av pakkeprioriteter». It can also show the pinning priorities for all available versions and sources of a package. For the sources.list example used in Eksempel 6.2, «/etc/apt/sources.list-fil for brukere av Debian Stable» and APT::Default-Release set to "bullseye", the output will look like this:
$apt-cache policyPackage files: 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status release a=now 100 https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports/main amd64 Packages release o=Debian Backports,a=bullseye-backports,n=bullseye-backports,l=Debian Backports,c=main,b=amd64 origin deb.debian.org 990 https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/non-free amd64 Packages release v=11.0,o=Debian,a=stable,n=bullseye,l=Debian,c=non-free,b=amd64 origin deb.debian.org 990 https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/contrib amd64 Packages release v=11.0,o=Debian,a=stable,n=bullseye,l=Debian,c=contrib,b=amd64 origin deb.debian.org 990 https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages release v=11.0,o=Debian,a=stable,n=bullseye,l=Debian,c=main,b=amd64 origin deb.debian.org 500 http://security.debian.org bullseye-security/main amd64 Packages release v=11,o=Debian,a=stable-security,n=bullseye-security,l=Debian-Security,c=main,b=amd64 origin security.debian.org Pinned packages:
apt-cache policy kan også vise låseprioriteringer for alle tilgjengelige versjoner og kilder til en gitt pakke.
$apt-cache policy limnorialimnoria: Installed: 2021.06.15-1 Candidate: 2021.06.15-1 Version table: 2021.07.21-1~bpo11+1 100 100 https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports/main amd64 Packages *** 2021.06.15-1 990 990 https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
bullseye-backports repository, APT will not install it automatically based on the priority. One would have to use apt install limnoria/bullseye-backports or add a higher pinning priority to /etc/apt/preferences.d/limnoria.pref:
Package: limnoria Pin: release o=Debian Backports, a=bullseye-backports Pin-Priority: 1001
$apt-cache policy limnorialimnoria: Installed: 2021.06.15-1 Candidate: 2021.07.21-1~bpo11+1 Version table: 2021.07.21-1~bpo11+1 1001 100 https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports/main amd64 Packages *** 2021.06.15-1 990 990 https://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status