Editing APT (software) (section)

==Front ends==
[[Image:Synaptic Package Manager.png|thumb|300px|[[Synaptic package manager|Synaptic Package Manager]] is one of the front ends available for APT.]]

Several other [[Frontend and backend|front ends]] to APT exist, which provide more advanced installation functions and more intuitive interfaces. These include:
* ''[[Synaptic (software)|Synaptic]]'', a [[GTK]] [[graphical user interface]] 
* ''[[Ubuntu Software Center]]'', a [[GTK]] [[graphical user interface]] developed by the Ubuntu project
* ''[[aptitude (software)|aptitude]]'', a console client with [[Command-line interface|CLI]] and [[ncurses]]-based [[Text-based user interface|TUI]] interfaces
* ''[[KPackage]]'', part of [[KDE]]
* ''Adept package manager'', a graphical user interface for [[KDE]] (deb, rpm, bsd)
* ''[[PackageKit]]'', a [[D-Bus]] frontend, maintained by [[freedesktop.org]], powers [[GNOME Software]] and KDE Discover.
* ''GDebi'', a GTK-based tool sponsored for Ubuntu. (There is also a Qt version, available in the Ubuntu repositories as gdebi-kde.)
* ''apt-cdrom'', a way to add a new CDROM to APT's list of available repositories (sources.lists). It is necessary to use apt-cdrom to add CDs to the APT system, it cannot be done by hand.
* ''apt-zip'', a way to use apt with [[removable media]], specifically [[USB flash drive]]s.
* ''aptURL'', an Ubuntu software package that enables end-user applications to install with a single-click through a browser.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AptUrl|title=AptURL|work=Ubuntu Wiki|access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ubuntupit.com/how-to-install-software-in-ubuntu-linux-a-complete-guide-for-newbie/|title=How to install software in Ubuntu Linux: A complete guide for newbie|date=17 June 2018|access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref>
* ''[[Cydia]]'', a package manager for [[iOS jailbreaking|jailbroken iOS]] based on APT (ported to iOS as part of the Telesphoreo project).<ref>{{cite book|last=Jurick|first=David|title=iPhone hacks: Pushing the iPhone and iPod touch beyond their limits|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i-gABmh50v8C|access-date=27 December 2021|year=2009|publisher=O'Reilly Media, Inc.|isbn= 9780596516642|page=20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://linuxinsider.com/story/android-schmandroid-linux-on-the-iphone-62209.html|title=Android, Schmandroid: Linux on the iPhone|first=Richard|last=Adhikari|date=20 March 2008|publisher=LinuxInsider|access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref>
* ''Sileo'', like [[Cydia]], a package manager for jailbroken iOS based on newer versions of APT (ported to iOS by the Electra team)
* ''gnome-apt'', a GTK/[[GNOME]]-widget-based graphical front end. Developed by [[Havoc Pennington]]<ref>{{cite newsletter|url={{Google books|id=ColExJoEq1UC|page=50|text=Havoc Pennington|plainurl=yes}}|title=The evolution of Debian package management systems|first=Glenn|last=Mullikin|magazine=AUUGN.|volume=22|number=4|date=December 2001|issn=1035-7521|pages=50|quote=gnome-apt was written by Havoc Pennington}}</ref>
* ''Muon discover (previous Muon software center)'', a Qt-based graphical user interface
* ''Hildon application manager (Maemo application)'', a [[Maemo]] front end
* ''apticron'', a service designed to be run via [[cron]] to email notices of pending updates to a system administrator (sysadmin).
* ''APT Daemon'', a front end that runs as a [[Daemon (computing)|service]] to allow users to install software through [[Polkit|PolicyKit]] and is in turn the framework used by [[Ubuntu Software Center|Ubuntu software center]] (along with the [[Linux Mint#Software by Linux Mint|Linux Mint software manager]]).
* ''Package installer'', part of MX Linux.
* ''Apt-offline'': A convenient way to make any available non-containerized change to any Debian-type Linux installation without using a direct Internet connection. However, a temporary direct connection can be required, such as to install Apt-offline on some of the relevant types of Linux, and to add [[Ubuntu#Package_Archives|PPA]]'s to the sources-list.

APT front ends can:
* search for new packages;
* upgrade packages;
* install or remove packages and
* upgrade the whole system to a new release.

APT front ends can list the dependencies of packages being installed or upgraded, ask the administrator if packages recommended or suggested by newly installed packages should be installed too, automatically install dependencies and perform other operations on the system such as removing obsolete files and packages.