Featured resource
2025 Tech Upskilling Playbook
Tech Upskilling Playbook

Build future-ready tech teams and hit key business milestones with seven proven plays from industry leaders.

Check it out
  • Lab
    • Libraries: If you want this lab, consider one of these libraries.
    • Cloud
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Managing Packages on Debian and Ubuntu Systems

Managing packages means managing what version of software is available on a Linux distribution. For Ubuntu/Debian Linux distributions, the high-level, `apt`, manages installation, upgrading, and removal automatically. Ubuntu/Debian-based distributions also utilize the low-level tool `dpkg`, which requires resolving dependencies manually. But it provides powerful overrides, queries, and the ability to reconfigure installed packages. During this activity, we will work with `apt` to update, install, and remove packages, since it automatically manages packages required for dependencies. Then we will use the `dpkg` command to query information about installed packages and reconfigure one that is already installed. After completing this activity, we'll have a basic understanding of how manage software packages on Ubuntu/Debian systems.

Google Cloud Platform icon
Lab platform
Lab Info
Level
Intermediate
Last updated
Sep 10, 2025
Duration
15m

Contact sales

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.
Table of Contents
  1. Challenge

    Clean the apt Cached Information, Retrieve Latest Information About Available Packages, and Upgrade the System Software

    Use the apt command to clean, update and upgrade the system software:

    sudo -i
    apt clean
    apt update
    apt list --upgradeable
    apt upgrade
    
  2. Challenge

    Search for the apache http Package, Install It along with the elinks Package, and Use elinks to Dump the Home Page to /root/index.html

    Use the apt command to find the apache http package. Install it, and then install elinks to verify operation of the server. Use elinks to output the http://localhost home page to /root/index.html

    apt search 'apache http'
    apt install apache2 elinks
    

    To just see if the server is up, run this command:

    elinks http://localhost
    

    We should see a It works! page. Hit the q key to get back to a command line. Now lets dump that page's output to a text file:

    elinks -dump http://localhost > index.html
    
  3. Challenge

    Show Information about the tzdata Package and Reconfigure That Package

    Use the dpkg command to show the information about the tzdata. Use dpkg-reconfigure to adjust the timezone to US/Pacific.

    dpkg -s tzdata
    dpkg-reconfigure tzdata
    

    Once we run the reconfigure command, we'll be prompted with the tzdata package's configuration window, and we can set the correct time zone.

About the author

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

Real skill practice before real-world application

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Learn by doing

Engage hands-on with the tools and technologies you’re learning. You pick the skill, we provide the credentials and environment.

Follow your guide

All labs have detailed instructions and objectives, guiding you through the learning process and ensuring you understand every step.

Turn time into mastery

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you take time to practice. Hands-on labs set you up for success to make those skills stick.

Get started with Pluralsight