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Apt vs. Yum

apt-get and yum are both package management tools used in different Linux distributions to install, update, and manage software packages. However, they are associated with different package management systems used by various Linux distributions.

Here's a comparison of apt-get (used with Debian and Ubuntu) and yum (used with Red Hat, CentOS, and Fedora):

Package Management Systems​

  • apt-get is used with the Debian package management system, which uses .deb packages.
  • yum (or its successor dnf) is used with the Red Hat package management system, which uses .rpm packages.

Distributions​

  • apt-get is primarily used in Debian-based distributions such as Debian itself and Ubuntu.
  • yum (or dnf) is used in Red Hat-based distributions like Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), CentOS, and Fedora.

Command Differences​

While the basic functionality of both tools is similar (installing, updating, and removing packages), the commands themselves differ. For example:

  • To install a package with apt-get, you would use sudo apt-get install package_name.
  • To install a package with yum, you would use sudo yum install package_name.

Package Repositories​

  • apt-get uses repositories defined in /etc/apt/sources.list and /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ on Debian-based systems.
  • yum uses repository configuration files located in /etc/yum.repos.d/ on Red Hat-based systems.

Package Dependencies​

  • Both package managers handle package dependencies, ensuring that required packages are installed alongside the one you want to install.

Distribution-Specific​

These package managers are tailored to their respective distributions and may have some differences in behavior and available packages due to the different package ecosystems and policies of Debian-based and Red Hat-based systems.

Recent Changes​

In some Red Hat-based distributions, yum has been replaced by dnf (Dandified YUM), which offers similar functionality with improvements in speed and dependency resolution.


In summary, the choice between apt-get and yum (or dnf) depends on the Linux distribution you are using.

If you're on a Debian-based system like Ubuntu, you'll use apt-get.

If you're on a Red Hat-based system like CentOS or Fedora, you'll use yum or dnf.

These package managers help streamline software installation and management on their respective distributions.


✅ Resources​