A step-by-step guide to checking if your desired program is installed or not on your Raspberry Pi.

Learn how to check if a specific program is installed on your Raspberry Pi and fix any issues with installation using this simple step-by-step guide. …


Updated August 14, 2023

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Learn how to check if a specific program is installed on your Raspberry Pi and fix any issues with installation using this simple step-by-step guide.

Sometimes, you might need to verify whether a particular software or package is already installed on your Raspberry Pi or not. In such cases, it’s essential to know the commands and steps to perform this check. This article will show you how to do that using both the command line interface (CLI) and graphical user interface (GUI).

Method 1: Using CLI

  1. Open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or going to the menu bar > Accessories > Terminal.
  2. Type the following command and hit Enter:
dpkg -l | grep <package_name>

Replace <package_name> with the name of the package you want to check for, e.g., python3.

  1. If the package is installed, you will see output similar to this:
ii  python3                       3.7.3-1~bpo10+1              armhf        interactive high-level object-oriented language (version 3)

The ii at the beginning indicates that the package is installed, and you can see its version number, architecture, and description.

  1. If the package is not installed, you will get no output or an error message indicating that the package could not be found.

Method 2: Using GUI (Graphical User Interface)

  1. Open the Raspberry Pi Desktop.
  2. Click on the Raspberry Pi icon in the top left corner and select Preferences > Main Menu.
  3. Select System Tools > Synaptic Package Manager.
  4. Type your desired package name in the search bar, e.g., python3, and press Enter or click the Search button.
  5. If the package is installed, it will appear in the list of results with a green checkbox next to it. You can also see its version number, size, and other details.
  6. If the package is not installed, you won’t find any matches in the search results.

To install the package if it’s not already present, click on the Custom Filters button at the top left corner and select Not Installed (respositories). Then, search for your desired package again and mark it for installation by clicking on the checkbox next to it. Finally, click on the Apply button in the bottom right corner to install the package.

Remember that some packages may have dependencies that need to be installed along with them. Synaptic will prompt you if this is the case. Always read and understand any messages or warnings before proceeding with installation.