We covered . APT makes it easy to install packages. However, there are tens or thousands more packages. It can be difficult to find the right package and locate it, especially for Linux beginners. This post will discuss three utility programs that you can use to help you navigate the maze of Open-source software.
apt-cache
There are many interfaces that allow you to search packages. Apt-cache is one of the most simple and basic. It is the most popular interface because it’s fast, efficient, and easy to use. As default, apt_cache searches both package names and their descriptions for the term. We can search all by knowing, for example, that they all include ‘kalilinux’ in the names.
:~# apt-cache search kali-linux kali-linux - Kali Linux base system kali-linux-all - Kali Linux - all packages kali-linux-forensic - Kali Linux forensic tools kali-linux-full - Kali Linux complete system kali-linux-gpu - Kali Linux GPU tools kali-linux-nethunter - Kali NetHunter tools kali-linux-pwtools - Kali Linux password cracking tools kali-linux-rfid - Kali Linux RFID tools kali-linux-sdr - Kali Linux SDR tools kali-linux-top10 - Kali Linux Top 10 tools kali-linux-voip - Kali Linux VoIP tools kali-linux-web - Kali Linux webapp assessment tools kali-linux-wireless - Kali Linux wireless tools Many times, apt-cache will return far too many results due to its search in package descriptions. You can limit the search to package names by selecting the –names only option.
:~# apt-cache search nmap | wc -l 37 :~# apt-cache search nmap --names-only dnmap - Distributed nmap framework fruitywifi-module-nmap - nmap module for fruitywifi nmap-dbgsym - debug symbols for nmap python-libnmap - Python 2 NMAP library python-libnmap-doc - Python NMAP Library (common documentation) python3-libnmap - Python 3 NMAP library libnmap-parser-perl - parse nmap scan results with perl nmap - The Network Mapper nmap-common - Architecture independent files for nmap zenmap - The Network Mapper Front End nmapsi4 - graphical interface to nmap, the network scanner python-nmap - Python interface to the Nmap port scanner python3-nmap - Python3 interface to the Nmap port scanner Because apt-cache produces such a wonderful output, it’s possible to keep filtering the results until there are fewer.
:~# apt-cache search nmap --names-only | egrep -v '(python|perl)' dnmap - Distributed nmap framework fruitywifi-module-nmap - nmap module for fruitywifi nmap - The Network Mapper nmap-common - Architecture independent files for nmap nmap-dbgsym - debug symbols for nmap nmapsi4 - graphical interface to nmap, the network scanner zenmap - The Network Mapper Front End Although you can filter the results further, once you begin to string together several commands it is usually a sign that it’s time for another tool.
aptitude
Aptitude application is very similar to apt/apt-get, but it includes the very handy ncurses interface. Although it isn’t included by default in Kali, you can install it quickly as follows.
:# Apt Update && Apt -y Install AbilityOnce the installation is complete, you can launch ncurses by running aptitude with no options. You will be able to quickly browse packages by category. This greatly simplifies the task of sorting through thousands of packages.
You can search for packages by pressing the / characters or selecting ‘Find” under the Search’ menu. The package results are dynamically updated as you type your query.
After you have found the package you are interested in, mark it as installed with the + characters or remove/deselect the – characters.
You can now continue searching for additional packages that you want to install or remove. To view the complete list of actions, click the key when you are ready to install.
Once you are satisfied with these changes, click g once more. aptitude will then complete your package installation as normal.
Internet
The Google website search operator is the best way to limit your search results to Kali-packaged tools.
Find out More
This post should help answer the question whether a tool exists in Kali or Debian. We encourage you to visit the for a more thorough treatment on package management.
