[SOLVED] Mint: list installed software?

mogmog · 06-17-2015, 05:50 AM

Hi, I looked at this a bit a while ago - I have a SSD waiting to be installed...

On Windows there are various programs that can export a list of software that is installed. On Linux this seems to be a lot harder. When I tried before, I ended up with an enormous list of all the packages, 99% of which meant nothing to me - really I just need the "headline" or program name so I can easily add what I had before.

Really it's a dump of the Applications List but I haven't found anything to do this. I've seen people resorting to taking multiple screen grabs of the App List: there must be a better way!
Again, any help gratefully received.
TIA

mogmog · 06-17-2015, 08:09 AM

Looking into this, I wonder if I have missed a trick here & actually this process is easier in Linux than Windows? The Backup tool saves a package list which seems to me that this can be restored in some way? And therefore reinstalling all the packages automatically, saving one the hassle of finding them manually?

Habitual · 06-17-2015, 08:15 AM

dpkg -l | grep ^ii | awk '{print $2}' > installed

syg00 · 06-17-2015, 09:12 AM

On the occasion(s) I tried it, the Mint backup tool promised more than it delivered.
But as usual the question is easier than the answer. A more detailed explaination of Habituals answer here.

mogmog · 06-17-2015, 01:16 PM

Habitual, thanks. I ran that. Not at all sure what has happened if anything.

syg00 Thanks for the link. I've been through that & now onto awk language & can't make sense of the '{print $2}'- the refs I'm looking at are not clear to me (not a coder). Not quite all Greek, but an uphill task & one I am not able to take on at present.

Re Backup tool, I opened the list file in Bluefish and that gives me all installed packages so I'll wade through that & highlight the programs I added.

I might be able to do better than that, but for what effort as I don't speak the lingo?

Thanks

Habitual · 06-17-2015, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogmog

can't make sense of the '{print $2}'

'{print $2}' prints the second column or field only of

Code:

dpkg -l | grep ^ii

output, eg, the package name.

Head_on_a_Stick · 06-17-2015, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogmog

I ran that. Not at all sure what has happened if anything.

You now have a text file called "installed" in whichever was your working directory when you ran Habitual's command.

You can copy this file to your new system and use this to install them all to the new box:

Code:

# apt-get install $(cat installed)

mogmog · 06-18-2015, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Habitual

'{print $2}' prints the second column or field only of

Code:

dpkg -l | grep ^ii

output, eg, the package name.

Thanks, that helps a lot. I'm still not used to files not having extensions.
Apologies if I was a bit short yesterday, I'd had a gutfull of misc hassle.

Headonastick. That is great much easier than I had hoped - now almost looking forward to disk swap process!

mogmog · 06-26-2015, 01:45 PM

Thanks for your input.
Migration done. List created then I edited it in Bluefish to remove a few entries then reimported into new installation.
Backup tool worked pretty well - got 90%+ of the software with maybe a dozen bits missing.
Only had the new SSD for about 5 months, waiting for the perceived task/upheaval of the whole process...
Thanks again.