Linux Package Managers Cheat Sheet

Manage software packages with apt, yum, and dnf.

What this cheat sheet is for

This linux package managers reference helps you complete common developer tasks quickly and avoid repeated trial-and-error when working under deadlines.

When you need a reliable command or pattern during debugging and incident response.
When you are implementing a feature and want a known-good syntax example immediately.
When onboarding teammates and documenting repeatable workflows for daily use.
When reviewing pull requests and verifying that command usage follows best practices.

APT (Debian/Ubuntu)

Package management for Debian-based systems.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install package-name
sudo apt remove package-name
sudo apt autoremove
apt search keyword
apt show package-name
apt list --installed

YUM (CentOS/RHEL 7)

Package management for RHEL 7.

sudo yum update
sudo yum install package-name
sudo yum remove package-name
yum search keyword
yum info package-name
yum list installed

DNF (Fedora/RHEL 8+)

Modern package manager for Fedora and RHEL 8+.

sudo dnf update
sudo dnf install package-name
sudo dnf remove package-name
dnf search keyword
dnf info package-name
dnf list installed
sudo dnf autoremove

Package Information

Query installed packages.

dpkg -l
dpkg -l | grep package
rpm -qa
rpm -qa | grep package

Clean Cache

Clean package cache.

sudo apt clean
sudo apt autoclean
sudo dnf clean all
sudo yum clean all

Common mistakes / Pitfalls

People often copy a command or pattern without adapting placeholders, which can break production workflows unexpectedly.
It is easy to forget environment-specific differences, so always verify behavior in your shell, runtime, or API gateway before shipping.
Many errors come from skipping small validation steps, so test with realistic sample input before relying on the result.

Last updated: February 2026