How to list installed packages on Linux

How to list installed packages on Linux

With thousands of free Linux applications available, it's easy to lose track of what you installed and no longer use. Here's how to list installed applications for major Linux families, and some Linux distribution-independent methods.

What are Linux system packages? Apt: List installed packages in Ubuntu
DNF: List installed packages on Fedora
Pacman: List installed packages on Arch
Flatpak: List installed packages on each distribution
Snap: List installed packages on each distribution

What are Linux system packages?

Linux packages are loosely similar to app or program installers for macOS and Windows. These are bundled in archive files and are typically down from a central repository. Different Linux distributions use different formats to provide these files. For example, Debian and Ubuntu use DEB files, RHEL and Fedora use RPM files.

However, a package is not necessarily a complete precompiled program. In some cases, it's a library that provides important functionality to other applications on your PC.

Packages are typically installed, updated, and removed using a package manager. Also, the package manager will try to pick up all dependencies when you install your application, so you don't have to manually find all the code that a particular application needs to run.

There are some great package managers that you come across often. Red Hat-derived distributions (such as Fedora) use the dnf package manager, Debian-derived distributions (such as Ubuntu) use apt, and Arch-based distributions use Pacman. There are also some distro-independent package managers such as Snap and Flatpak that are available on almost any Linux system.

Apt: List installed packages on Ubuntu

The apt command allows you to use the package manager for the Debian distribution and many derived distributions (including Ubuntu). Note: apt replaces the old apt-get command. apt and apt-get share most of the syntax. So if you can find a directive to call apt-get, you can usually replace apt without problems. To see the list of installed packages, use the following command:

DNF: List installed packages on Fedora

Fedora is the most successful desktop distribution derived from RedHat. Use this to learn how to list installed applications using the dnf package manager.

List installed packages using dnf by running the following command:

Why check installed packages and applications? The range of free and open source applications available to Linux users is staggering. For Linux newbies, it can be overwhelming. But that's part of the fun, too. If you have specific needs, look for software that meets those needs. If it doesn't work with what you found, no problem. You'll probably have to try more until you find one that meets all your needs.

Make informed decisions

dnf, apt, and pacman have options to automatically find and remove orphaned unneeded packages. However, I can't find any old packages that I don't use anymore. This requires human intervention and knowledge of what needs to be uninstalled. That's where a useful command comes in. After freeing up disk space, you may want to learn how to install Android apps on your Linux device.

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