#1 2021-09-09 23:07:57

bic

Member

Registered: 2021-09-09

Posts: 13

Search for alternatives packages

Is there a way to search the package repository for packages that provide a certain alternative? For example, I'm looking for a web browser. I know that Firefox is in the repository, and I know that it is a browser. But I knew that beforehand, and I don't know what other browsers are available. How can I locate packages that provide web browsing functionality, or any other alternative for that matter? `apt search browser` returns far too many results to be useful.

deleted0

Guest

Re: Search for alternatives packages

I guess there are keyboard jockeys that could come up with better search strings to get what's needed from apt search. Meanwhile...

BL is one of the few distros that have Synaptic set up with Quick filter.  Makes for easy searching of packages. Use 'web browser' as the search query. 

HTH
8bit

brontosaurusrex

Middle Office

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 2,746

Re: Search for alternatives packages

I usually do something like

apt-cache search web browser | grep "web browser"

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My website full of interesting stuff.

nobody

The Great

Registered: 2015-08-10

Posts: 3,655

Re: Search for alternatives packages

Is there a way to search the package repository for packages that provide a certain alternative? For example, I'm looking for a web browser. I know that Firefox is in the repository, and I know that it is a browser. But I knew that beforehand, and I don't know what other browsers are available. How can I locate packages that provide web browsing functionality, or any other alternative for that matter? `apt search browser` returns far too many results to be useful.

Use the Debian package "catalog", which is sorted by "sections": https://packages.debian.org/stable/ For example, if you want to find more web browsers, go to https://packages.debian.org/stable/web/ and search for "browser". Bronto's suggestion is just the CLI version of browsing the repo.  There are also applications like KDE Discover or GNOME Software Center, which in themselves provide improved ways to browse the repositories.

rbh

Moderator

From: South of Lapplands inland

Registered: 2016-08-11

Posts: 1,921

Re: Search for alternatives packages

BL is one of the few distros that have Synaptic set up with Quick filter.  Makes for easy searching of packages. Use 'web browser' as the search query.

To get som less interesting hits, first mark section "Wide world web".
It is handy, to configure synaptic to "Show package properties in main window", you get descitiopn by just marking a package.

Last edited by rbh (2021-09-10 16:50:48)

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// Regards rbh

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