Package Management

< 1 min read

Different distros, different tools — but the same two ideas: refresh the list, then install or upgrade.

apt (Ubuntu / Debian) #

sudo apt update      # refresh the list of what's available
sudo apt install nginx
sudo apt upgrade     # actually install the upgrades

The distinction people mix up: apt update does not upgrade anything — it just refreshes the package index. apt upgrade is the step that actually installs newer versions.

yum / dnf (RHEL / CentOS) #

sudo yum install nginx
sudo yum update

Modern RHEL-based systems commonly use dnf, though you’ll still run into yum often. The exact commands vary a bit by distro and version — the concepts (refresh → install/upgrade) stay the same everywhere.

Decoding a full command #

sudo apt install git
  │     │     │     └── the package
  │     │     └──────── the operation
  │     └────────────── the package manager
  └──────────────────── run with elevated privileges

Updated on September 16, 2026

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