Are your new new to Alpine Linux system admin job or user? Do you want to learn how to use apk command line utility for package management on an Alpine Linux server running in the cloud or a Linux container? Let us see how to use the Alpine package manager over an ssh-based session or the terminal application.
| apk command details | |
|---|---|
| Description | Alpine Linux package manager |
| Category | Package Manager |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
| Root privileges | Yes |
| OS compatibility | Alpine • Linux |
| Est. reading time | 6 minutes |
The list of repositories is stored in /etc/apk/repositories configuration file. Use the cat/more/less/bat command to view /etc/apk/repositories file. Alpine Linux package often has the .apk extension called “a-packs”. The apk command is equivalent to apt/apt-get command on Debian/Ubuntu, yum command/dnf command on CentOS/RHEL Linux, or zypper command on SuSE/OpenSUSE Linux.
Purpose
Use apk for installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing apps/programs for an Alpine Linux operating system in a consistent manner.
Syntax
The basic syntax is as follows:
apk [options] command apk [options] command pkgName apk [options] command pkgName1 pkgName2
Alpine Linux apk command examples
Let us see how to use the apk command to install security updates or new set of packages on an Alpine Linux server.
How to update the package list
To update your package list, enter:
# apk update
Sample outputs:
Fig.01: How to update the package list in Alpine Linux
How to search for package(s)
The syntax is:
# apk search pkgName
For example, search a package named htop, run:
# apk search htop
Sample outputs:
htop-doc-2.0.2-r0 htop-2.0.2-r0
To search and display description:
# apk search -v -d 'htop'
Sample outputs:
htop-doc-2.0.2-r0 - An interactive process viewer (documentation) htop-2.0.2-r0 - An interactive process viewer
To list all packages available, along with their descriptions
# apk search -v
Sample outputs:
gettext-0.19.8.1-r0 - GNU locale utilities gst-plugins-base0.10-dev-0.10.36-r3 - GStreamer Multimedia Framework Base Plugins (development files) xcb-util-keysyms-dev-0.4.0-r0 - Utility libraries for XC Binding - keysyms (development files) openlibm-0.5.4-r0 - High quality system independent, portable, open source libm implementation imapsync-doc-1.727-r1 - IMAP synchronisation, sync, copy or migration tool (documentation) evince-lang-3.22.1-r0 - Languages for package evince jack-1.9.10-r2 - The Jack Audio Connection Kit php7-intl-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: intl php5-5.6.30-r0 - The PHP language runtime engine samba-libs-4.5.7-r0 - Samba core libraries gst-plugins-bad1-1.8.3-r0 - GStreamer bad plugins docker-bash-completion-1.12.6-r0 - Bash completion for Docker mesa-gl-12.0.3-r0 - Mesa libGL runtime libraries nagios-plugins-mrtg-2.1.4-r2 - Nagios plugin check_mrtg ..... .. .... nrpe-2.15-r4 - NRPE allows you to remotely execute Nagios plugins on other Linux/Unix machines. py2-psycopg2-2.6.2-r1 - A Python-PostgreSQL Database Adapter (for python2) perl-mime-types-2.13-r0 - Definition of MIME types perl-net-http-doc-6.09-r0 - Net::HTTP perl module (documentation) shared-mime-info-lang-1.8-r0 - Languages for package shared-mime-info altermime-0.3.11-r0 - alterMIME - MIME encoded email pack alteration tool at-3.1.20-r0 - AT and batch delayed command scheduling utility and daemon fbida-2.12-r0 - Few applications to display and elementary edit images
How do I search package by wildcards?
The syntax is as follows to search all php7 packages or php5 packages:
# apk search -v 'php5*'
### OR ###
# apk search -v 'php7*'
Sample outputs:
php7-intl-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: intl php7-openssl-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: openssl php7-dba-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: dba php7-sqlite3-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: sqlite3 php7-pear-7.0.16-r0 - PHP Extension and Application Repository php7-phpdbg-7.0.16-r0 - Interactive PHP debugger php7-litespeed-7.0.16-r0 - PHP LiteSpeed SAPI php7-gmp-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: gmp php7-pdo_mysql-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: pdo_mysql php7-pcntl-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: pcntl php7-common-7.0.16-r0 - The PHP language runtime engine - 7th branch (common config) php7-xsl-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: xsl php7-fpm-7.0.16-r0 - PHP FastCGI Process Manager php7-mysqlnd-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: mysqlnd php7-enchant-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: enchant php7-pspell-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: pspell php7-snmp-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: snmp .... .. ... php7-sockets-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: sockets php7-soap-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: soap php7-apcu-5.1.8-r0 - PHP extension APC User Cache php7-sysvmsg-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: sysvmsg php7-zlib-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: zlib php7-ftp-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: ftp php7-sysvsem-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: sysvsem php7-pdo-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: pdo php7-bz2-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: bz2 php7-mysqli-7.0.16-r0 - PHP7 extension: mysqli
How to install a package(s) by name
The syntax is:
# apk add pkgName
# apk add pkgName1 pkgName2
To install a htop package, run:
# apk add htop
Sample outputs:
(1/1) Installing htop (2.0.2-r0) Executing busybox-1.25.1-r0.trigger OK: 39 MiB in 28 packages
To install Apache2 along with PHP7 and modules, run:
# apk add apache2 php7-apache2 php7-gd php7-mysqli
Sample outputs:
(1/28) Installing libuuid (2.28.2-r1) (2/28) Installing apr (1.5.2-r1) (3/28) Installing expat (2.2.0-r0) (4/28) Installing apr-util (1.5.4-r2) (5/28) Installing pcre (8.39-r0) (6/28) Installing apache2 (2.4.25-r0) Executing apache2-2.4.25-r0.pre-install (7/28) Installing php7-common (7.0.16-r0) (8/28) Installing libedit (20150325.3.1-r3) (9/28) Installing libxml2 (2.9.4-r2) (10/28) Installing php7-apache2 (7.0.16-r0) (11/28) Installing libxau (1.0.8-r1) (12/28) Installing libxdmcp (1.1.2-r2) (13/28) Installing libxcb (1.12-r0) (14/28) Installing libx11 (1.6.4-r0) (15/28) Installing libxext (1.3.3-r1) (16/28) Installing libice (1.0.9-r1) (17/28) Installing libsm (1.2.2-r0) (18/28) Installing libxt (1.1.5-r0) (19/28) Installing libxpm (3.5.12-r0) (20/28) Installing libbz2 (1.0.6-r5) (21/28) Installing libpng (1.6.25-r0) (22/28) Installing freetype (2.7-r1) (23/28) Installing libjpeg-turbo (1.5.1-r0) (24/28) Installing libwebp (0.5.2-r0) (25/28) Installing php7-gd (7.0.16-r0) (26/28) Installing mariadb-common (10.1.22-r0) (27/28) Installing mariadb-client-libs (10.1.22-r0) (28/28) Installing php7-mysqli (7.0.16-r0) Executing busybox-1.25.1-r0.trigger OK: 64 MiB in 56 packages
Interactive install or upgrade
We can force confirmation before performing certain operations by passing the -i option:
# apk -i add nginx
# apk -i upgrade
The following packages will be upgraded: libcrypto1.1 libssl1.1 alpine-base linux-lts xtables-addons-lts openssh-keygen openssh-client openssh-sftp-server openssh-server-common openssh-server openssh openssl zfs-lts After this operation, 16 KiB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue [Y/n]?
Simulation with apk command
We can simulate the requested operation without making any changes. Helpful to see what packages will be upgrades or what will be done on the Alpine Linux system:
# apk -s command
# apk -s add nginx
# apk -s upgrade
In other words, nothing was installed or upgraded on the system, but you will know precisely what apk was about to do.
How to hold a specific package back and not upgrade it
If you want to upgrade Alpine Linux system, but keep or hold a specific package add version number. For instance, to hold the bash package to the version 5.0.0-r0 level or lower, run:
# apk add bash=5.0.0-r0
One can do regex based version matching to hold the version to a major/minor release. For example:
# apk add bash=~5.0
Now, upgrade the system. However, apk will upgrade the entire system, keeping the bash package at the 5.0.0-r0 or lower level:
# apk upgrade
It is possible to remove holding. For example, make sure upgrade bash to the current lastest version, run:
# apk add bash>5.0.0-r0
How do install a local .apk file package?
The syntax is as follows to add a local package named foo.apk:
# apk add --allow-untrusted /path/to/foo.apk
# apk add --allow-untrusted pkg1.apk pkg2.apk
How to remove or delete a package(s) by name
The syntax is:
# apk del pkgName
# apk del pkgName1 pkgName2
To delete a htop package run:
# apk del htop
Sample outputs:
(1/1) Purging htop (2.0.2-r0) Executing busybox-1.25.1-r0.trigger OK: 39 MiB in 27 packages
How do I delete old packages caches on Alpine Linux?
To remove out older versions of packages, run the clean command as follows:
# apk cache clean
## or ##
# apk -v cache clean
One can also clean cache and download missing packages in one step:
# apk cache -v sync
How to upgrade running Alpine Linux
The syntax is:
# apk update && apk upgrade
You can create a bash shell alias as follows in ~/.bashrc
# echo "alias update='apk update && apk upgrade'" >> /.bashrc
Run it as follows:
# update
How do I upgrade selected packages only?
The syntax is
# apk add -u pkgName
To upgrade a htop only package:
# apk update
# apk add -u htop
How do I list installed packages?
The syntax is:
# apk info
# filter out info using the grep command #
# apk info -vv | grep 'foo'
# Get verbose outputs and sort it using the sort command #
# apk info -vv | sort
Fig.02: How do I show/list installed packages in Alpine Linux
Find out which package a file belongs to..
to determine which package a file named /etc/passwd or /sbin/apk belongs to:
# apk info --who-owns /etc/passwd
/etc/passwd is owned by alpine-baselayout-3.0.4-r0
# apk info --who-owns /sbin/apk
/sbin/apk is owned by apk-tools-2.6.8-r2
List contents of the APK PACKAGE
# apk -L info pkgName
# apk -L info htop
Sample outputs:
htop-2.0.2-r0 contains: usr/bin/htop usr/share/applications/htop.desktop usr/share/pixmaps/htop.png
Check if PACKAGE is installed
# apk -e info pkgName
#############################################
### find out if atop PACKAGE is installed ###
#############################################
# apk -e info atop
No output displayed if PACKAGE is NOT installed.
List packages that the PACKAGE depends on
# apk -R info atop
# apk -R info atop
Sample outputs:
atop-2.2_p3-r0 depends on: so:libc.musl-x86_64.so.1 so:libncursesw.so.6 so:libz.so.1
List all packages depending on PACKAGE
Pass the -r to the apk command:
# apk info -r pkgNameHere
# For example, list all pkgs depending upon GNU/bash #
# apk info -r bash
Sample outputs:
bash-5.1.16-r0 is required by: bash-completion-2.11-r4 wireguard-tools-wg-quick-1.0.20210914-r0
Show installed size of PACKAGE
You need to pass the -s to the apk command as follows:
# apk info -s pkgName
# Let us list size of a package named 'atop' #
# apk info -s atop
Sample outputs:
atop-2.2_p3-r0 installed size: 520192
Print description for PACKAGE
Want to get a short description about APK package? Try passing the -d as follows:
# apk info -d pkgName
# apk info -d bash
Here is what I see:
bash-5.1.16-r0 description: The GNU Bourne Again shell
Print all information about PACKAGE
Pass the -a option to the apk command as follows:
# apk info -a pkgName
# Get info about GNU/bash, run: #
# apk info -a bash
Sample outputs:
bash-5.1.16-r0 description: The GNU Bourne Again shell bash-5.1.16-r0 webpage: https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/bash.html bash-5.1.16-r0 installed size: 1296 KiB bash-5.1.16-r0 depends on: /bin/sh so:libc.musl-x86_64.so.1 so:libreadline.so.8 bash-5.1.16-r0 provides: cmd:bash=5.1.16-r0 bash-5.1.16-r0 is required by: bash-completion-2.11-r4 wireguard-tools-wg-quick-1.0.20210914-r0 bash-5.1.16-r0 contains: bin/bash usr/lib/bash/accept usr/lib/bash/basename usr/lib/bash/csv usr/lib/bash/cut usr/lib/bash/dirname usr/lib/bash/fdflags usr/lib/bash/finfo usr/lib/bash/head usr/lib/bash/id usr/lib/bash/ln usr/lib/bash/logname usr/lib/bash/mkdir usr/lib/bash/mkfifo usr/lib/bash/mktemp usr/lib/bash/mypid usr/lib/bash/pathchk usr/lib/bash/print usr/lib/bash/printenv usr/lib/bash/push usr/lib/bash/realpath usr/lib/bash/rm usr/lib/bash/rmdir usr/lib/bash/seq usr/lib/bash/setpgid usr/lib/bash/sleep usr/lib/bash/strftime usr/lib/bash/sync usr/lib/bash/tee usr/lib/bash/truefalse usr/lib/bash/tty usr/lib/bash/uname usr/lib/bash/unlink usr/lib/bash/whoami bash-5.1.16-r0 triggers: bash-5.1.16-r0 has auto-install rule: bash-5.1.16-r0 affects auto-installation of: bash-doc-5.1.16-r0 bash-5.1.16-r0 replaces: bash-5.1.16-r0 license: GPL-3.0-or-later
apk command options and examples
| Command | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| apk update | Update the package list | apk update |
| apk upgrade | Upgrade the system | apk update apt ugrade |
| apk add pkg | Add a package | apk add apache |
| apk del pkg | Delete a package | apk del nginx |
| apk search -v | Search for packages | apk search -v apk search -v -d 'nginx*‘ apk search -v 'apache*' |
| apk info | List all installed pacakges | apk info |
| apk fix | Repair package or upgrade it without modifying main dependencies | apk fix |
| apk policy pkg | Show repository policy for packages | apk policy bash |
| apk stats | Show statistics about repositories and installations | apk stats |
See also
You learned about apk command and everyday examples to add, remove and manage packages on Alpine Linux. See also:
- /etc/apk/repositories file.
- The apk command has many more options. Hence, read apk command manual page using the man command or help command
$ man apk
$ apk --help
# Want to get help about add/del commands? #
$ apk add --help
$ apk del --help
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