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What is the difference between apt-get update and apt-get upgrade?

Which should I run first?

Do any of them automatically run the other?

Braiam
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Student
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2 Answers2

618

You should first run update, then upgrade. Neither of them automatically runs the other.

  • apt-get update updates the list of available packages and their versions, but it does not install or upgrade any packages.
  • apt-get upgrade actually installs newer versions of the packages you have. After updating the lists, the package manager knows about available updates for the software you have installed. This is why you first want to update.

Additionally, you can use apt-get update && apt-get upgrade to do both steps one after the other.

Yehuda Rechtshafer
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Timo Kluck
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5

Here is the order for apt users:

  1. sudo apt update
  2. sudo apt upgrade
  3. sudo apt autoremove.

Don't fall for dist-upgrade or full-upgrade unless you know what you want to do exactly! Use the time tested steps as shown above!

Ray
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