> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # UPT: Universal Package Management Tool for Linux - URL: https://itsfoss.com/upt/ - Published: 2024-03-13T05:05:32.000Z - Updated: 2024-03-28T02:17:18.000Z - Description: One command to rule them all! Or more like one command to manage all the packages on all the distributions. - Author: Community - Tags: Terminal The world of software packages on Linux and other Unix-based systems is quite a savannah: each system has its own singular package management approach, making life hell for people who have to deal with multiple platforms. There are [Pacman](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman?ref=itsfoss.com) for Arch Linux and derivatives, [Alpine Package Keeper](https://docs.alpinelinux.org/user-handbook/0.1a/Working/apk.html?ref=itsfoss.com) (a.k.a. APK), [Advanced Package Tool](https://wiki.debian.org/Apt?ref=itsfoss.com) (a.k.a. APT) for Debian GNU/Linux and derivatives, [Aptitude](https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/aptitude?ref=itsfoss.com), a front-end for APT, [Snapcraft](https://snapcraft.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) for Ubuntu and derivatives, [Yellowdog Updater Modified](http://yum.baseurl.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) (a.k.a. Yum) for RPM-based systems, [Slackpkg](https://slackpkg.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for Slackware, [Emerge](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Emerge?ref=itsfoss.com) for Gentoo, the `guix` command on [Guix](https://guix.gnu.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), and `nix-env` on [NixOS](https://nixos.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), among others, not to mention [pkg](https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=pkg&ref=itsfoss.com) on FreeBSD, [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/?ref=itsfoss.com) for macOS, and [Scoop](https://scoop.sh/?ref=itsfoss.com) for Windows. Every one of those has its own way of management, forcing you to learn different ways to do the same thing. In short, it’s really a mess… or is it? ## Enter UPT A developer called [sigoden](https://github.com/sigoden?ref=itsfoss.com) has created a universal tool called [Universal Package-management Tool](https://crates.io/crates/upt?ref=itsfoss.com), or **UPT** for short, able to put things together in this jungle. Once you have it installed, you won’t need to learn another package management’s *lifestyle* again. UPT is written in Rust so you need to [install Rust and Cargo on Ubuntu](https://itsfoss.com/install-rust-cargo-ubuntu-linux/) or whatever Linux distribution you are using. I recommend installing the [rustup](https://rustup.rs/?ref=itsfoss.com) package for your system – GNU/Linux systems usually have a `rustup` package available in their repositories. 📋 All the following commands are intended to be performed by the root user, unless stated otherwise, so don’t forget to run your `sudo -i` command. ```sh # On Debian GNU/Linux and derivatives: apt install gcc make rustup # On Arch Linux and derivatives: packman -S gcc make rustup # On Alpine: apk add gcc make rustup rustup-init source ~/.cargo/env # On RPM-based systems: yum install gcc make rustup # On macOS with Homebrew (not Linux, obviously) brew install clang make rustup ``` 📋 I use `clang` instead of `gcc`, and it works as well for me, you’re just going to need to set your `CC` and `CPP` environment variables, if you also want to use it too, to `clang` and `clang++ -E` respectively. After installing `rustup`, don’t forget to add `$HOME/.cargo/bin` to your `PATH`. If you’re using Bash as shell (usually the default shell), you have to add the following line to `~/.bash_profile`: ```bash export PATH=$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH ``` If your shell is Zsh, you can add the same line above to `~/.zshrc` instead. Don’t forget to reload the shell. Now you can install the `upt` command tool: ```sh rustup default stable cargo install upt ``` If you want to use an administration user (e.g. in the wheel or sudo group), you should perform the same commands above as the administrator user. All set! Now you have a single package management tool you can use the same way across your systems. ## Using UPT Updating the package manager: ```sh sudo upt update ``` ![running "upt update" command with sudo permissions in terminal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/upt-update-command-run.svg) `upt update` Installing a package: ```sh sudo upt install package_name ``` ![Install a package using upt](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/install-package-upt.svg) Install package Upgrading a package: ```sh sudo upt upgrade package_name ``` ![Upgrade a package using upt upgrade command](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/upgrade-a-package.svg) Upgrade a package Upgrading all installed packages: ```sh sudo upt upgrade ``` ![Upgrade packages using UPT command](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/upt-upgrade-command.svg) Upgrade packages Removing a package: ```sh sudo upt remove package_name ``` ![Remove a package using UPT](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/remove-a-package-using-upt.svg) Remove a package Searching for a package (`vtk` for instance): ```sh sudo upt search vtk ``` ![Search for a package using UPT](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/search-for-a-package.svg) Search for a package If the same package is available in apt (deb), Snap, Flatpak etc., which one should UPT choose while installing? It is determined by the order listed in [this table](| Tool | Install | Uninstall | Upgrade | Search | Info | Update Index | Upgrade All | List Installed | | ----------- | --------------------------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------ | ------------------------ | --------------------------------- | | upt | upt install $pkg | upt remove/uninstall $pkg | upt upgrade $pkg | upt search $pkg | upt info/show $pkg | upt update | upt upgrade | upt list | | apk | apk add $pkg | apk del $pkg | apk upgrade $pkg | apk search $pkg | apk info $pkg | apk update | apk upgrade | apk list -I/--installed | | apt | apt install $pkg | apt remove $pkg | apt install --only-upgrade $pkg | apt search $pkg | apt show $pkg | apt update | apt upgrade | apt list -i/--installed | | brew | brew install $pkg | brew uninstall $pkg | brew upgrade $pkg | brew search $pkg | brew info $pkg | brew update | brew upgrade | brew list | | cards | cards install $pkg | cards remove $pkg | cards install -u/--upgrade $pkg | cards search $pkg | cards info $pkg | cards sync | cards upgrade | cards list | | choco | choco install $pkg | choco uninstall $pkg | choco upgrade $pkg | choco search $pkg | choco info $pkg | choco upgrade all --noop | choco upgrade all | choco list -l/--local-only | | dnf | dnf install $pkg | dnf remove $pkg | dnf upgrade $pkg | dnf search $pkg | dnf info $pkg | dnf check-update | dnf update | dnf list --installed | | emerge | emerge $pkg | emerge --depclean $pkg | emerge --update $pkg | emerge --search $pkg | emerge --info $pkg | emerge --sync | emerge -vuDN @world | qlist -lv | | eopkg | eopkg install $pkg | eopkg remove $pkg | eopkg upgrade $pkg | eopkg search $pkg | eopkg info $pkg | eopkg update-repo | eopkg upgrade | eopkg list-installed | | flatpak | flatpak install $pkg | flatpak uninstall $pkg | flatpak update $pkg | flatpak search $pkg | flatpak info $pkg | - | flatpak update | flatpak list | | guix | guix install $pkg | guix remove $pkg | guix upgrade $pkg | guix search $pkg | guix show $pkg | guix refresh | guix upgrade | guix package -I/--list-installed | | nix-env | nix-env -i/--install $pkg | nix-env -e/--uninstall $pkg | nix-env -u/--upgrade $pkg | nix-env -qaP $pkg | nix-env -qa --description $pkg | nix-channel --update | nix-env -u/--upgrade | nix-env -q/--query --installed | | opkg | opkg install $pkg | opkg remove $pkg | opkg upgrade $pkg | opkg find $pkg | opkg info $pkg | opkg update | opkg upgrade | opkg list --installed | | pacman | pacman -S $pkg | pacman -Rs $pkg | pacman -S $pkg | pacman -Ss $pkg | pacman -Si $pkg | pacman -Sy | pacman -Syu | pacman -Q | | pkg | pkg install $pkg | pkg remove $pkg | pkg install $pkg | pkg search $pkg | pkg info $pkg | pkg update | pkg upgrade | pkg info -a/--all | | pkg%28termux%29 | pkg install $pkg | pkg uninstall $pkg | pkg install $pkg | pkg search $pkg | pkg show $pkg | pkg update | pkg upgrade | pkg list-installed | | pkgman | pkgman install $pkg | pkgman uninstall $pkg | pkgman update $pkg | pkgman search $pkg | - | pkgman refresh | pkgman update | pkgman search -i -a | | prt-get | prt-get install $pkg | prt-get remove $pkg | prt-get update $pkg | prt-get search $pkg | prt-get info $pkg | ports -u | prt-get sysup | prt-get listinst | | scoop | scoop install $pkg | scoop uninstall $pkg | scoop update $pkg | scoop search $pkg | scoop info $pkg | scoop update | scoop update %2A | scoop list | | slackpkg | slackpkg install | slackpkg remove | slackpkg upgrade | slackpkg search | slackpkg info | slackpkg update | slackpkg upgrade-all | ls -1 /var/log/packages | | snap | snap install --classic $pkg | snap remove $pkg | snap refresh $pkg | snap find $pkg | snap info $pkg | - | snap refresh | snap list | | urpm | urpmi $pkg | urpme $pkg | urpmi $pkg | urpmq -y/--fuzzy $pkg | urpmq -i $pkg | urpmi.update -a | urpmi --auto-update | rpm -q/--query --all | | winget | winget install $pkg | winget uninstall $pkg | winget upgrade $pkg | winget search $pkg | winget show $pkg | - | winget upgrade --all | winget list | | xbps | xbps-install $pkg | xbps-remove $pkg | xbps-install -u/--update $pkg | xbps-query -Rs $pkg | xbps-query -RS $pkg | xbps-install -S/--sync | xbps-install -u/--update | qxbps-query -l/--list-pkgs | | yum | yum install $pkg | yum remove $pkg | yum upgrade $pkg | yum search $pkg | yum info $pkg | yum check-update | yum update | yum list --installed | | zypper | zypper install $pkg | zypper remove $pkg | zypper update $pkg | zypper search $pkg | zypper info $pkg | zypper refresh | zypper update | zypper search -i/--installed-only ). To prefer a snap package over another, you can set the `UPT_TOOL` environment variable. On the bottom of your bashrc file, add the line: ``` export UPT_TOOL='snap' ``` Now, if you run (do not use sudo on the below command): ``` sudo upt install vlc ``` It will prompt for a password. Give it and the snap package will be installed. 0:00 /0:15 1× Install snap package using UPT You can see that, the snap version of VLC has been installed. ![Snap version of VLC is installed](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/upt-install-snap.png) Snap version of VLC is installed ## Conclusion As you can see, UPT needs initial effort to install, which is not a lot for seasoned Linux users. Unfortunately, although the package manager is the same across different systems, it’s still a front-end for each system's default package manager. That means package names are still the same used by each distro, you can’t use a single package name for different systems. For instance, if you want to install the Python development package, you’ll need different packages for different systems: ```sh # On Alpine, Debian GNU/Linux, and derivatives upt install python3-dev # On RPM-based systems: upt install python3-devel # On Arch Linux upt install python ``` ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/python-has-no-installation-candidate.png) Package `Python` has no installation candidate For Ubuntu users, there is a similar tool called Nala that may interest you. [Apt++? Nala is Like Apt in Ubuntu but BetterNala is a Python-based frontend for apt package management. Inspired by the DNF package manager, Nala seems like a promising tool for Ubuntu and Debian users.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSSagar Sharma![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2022/11/nala-apt-frontend.png)](https://itsfoss.com/nala/) I hope you like learning about such interesting CLI tools. Stay tuned for more. ✍️ [Rodrigo Montegasppα Cacilhας](https://github.com/cacilhas?ref=itsfoss.com) is a Linux veteran with over 25 years of experience playing with Linux systems and writing code.