Easily Identify and Manage Your Raspberry Pi’s Software Stack

Learn how to list installed packages, search for specific packages, and remove unwanted software on your Raspberry Pi. Master package management with these simple commands. …

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Learn how to list installed packages, search for specific packages, and remove unwanted software on your Raspberry Pi. Master package management with these simple commands.

Check Installed Packages

To check all the packages installed on your Raspberry Pi, open a terminal window and type the following command:

dpkg --get-selections

This will output a list of all installed packages along with their current status (installed or deinstalled). The output may look something like this:

libpam-systemd                              install
libraspberrypi0                           install
libsystemd0:amd64                         install
libudev1:amd64                            install
libudev1:i386                             install
lightdm                                  install
linux-firmware                            install
locales                                  install
login                                    install

Search for a Package

If you want to search for a specific package, use the dpkg -l command with a keyword. For example, if you’re looking for all packages related to Python:

dpkg -l | grep python

This will output all installed packages containing the word “python,” such as:

ii  libpython3-stdlib:amd64                  3.7.3-1+rpi1                     amd64        interactive high-level object-oriented language (default python3 version)
ii  python3                               3.7.3-1+rpi1                     amd64        interactive high-level object-oriented language (version 3)

Remove a Package

To remove an installed package, use the apt-get command with the --purge option:

sudo apt-get --purge remove <package_name>

For example, to remove the “lightdm” package:

sudo apt-get --purge remove lightdm

This will prompt you for confirmation before removing the package and its configuration files. If you’re sure you want to remove a package and all its dependencies, use the --auto-remove option as well:

sudo apt-get --purge --auto-remove <package_name>

Conclusion

Now you know how to check installed packages on your Raspberry Pi, search for specific ones, and remove unwanted software. With these commands at your disposal, you can manage your Pi’s software stack more effectively and efficiently. Remember that using sudo is necessary for most package management commands, as they require administrative privileges.