apt/adept question

[paralis]

Like most kubuntu users I guess I use adept to install packages and from time to time the shell.
However, it's been a very long time I wonder why there is no log listing all apps installed or removed with dates and time which could be more than useful for users.

Why I'm talking about is something which could look like this:

02/15/2006 10:25 PM Installed: xxxx.yyy.deb
06/28/2006 05:47 PM Installed: xxxx.yyyy.deb
06/28/2006 05:49 PM Removed: xxxx.yyyy.deb
11/07/2006 02:18 PM Installed: aa.bbb.deb
11/07/2006 02:18 PM Installed for aa.bbb.deb dependencies:
xx.pp.deb
yyy.zzzzz.deb

Obviously, adept does not offer such feature for now. I must say I don't understand why not. But anyway, I'm quite sure apt should have something very close since I believe it maintains some kind of database.

So I'm asking here the apt wizards: how to get a log close to what I need with apt ?

That should help me wait while the developers decide to add this feature to adept.

[b0uncyfr0]

Re: apt/adept question

This isnt helping but try to use synaptic. It has a lot more features and works generally better. As for Adept logs, i have no idea.

[dibl]

Re: apt/adept question

adept does not offer such feature for now

Huh? You mean if I only "x" "Installed Packages" in Adept, it's NOT showing me the list of packages I have installed? What the heck IS it showing, me then?

[Snowhog]

Re: apt/adept question

Tis true, that you can see what you have had installed, but paralis is looking for an actual output file (log) of what packages have been installed, and when. I can see the value of such a log file, especially if one is aggressive in pushing the envelope with new installs, and would like to keep a record of 'what I had before I did this' without having to manually document it.

Does Adept have a feature for creating such a log file??

[Fenyx]

Re: apt/adept question

There is a generic log of anything installed using dpkg (that is, apt and friends). It's in /var/log/dpkg.log (some older ones are dpkg.X.log, with X being a number). There are only 2 package manager that I know of that keep their own logs: Synaptic (GUI) and aptitude (command line).

[SheeEttin]

Re: apt/adept question

Hmm... I suppose you could create a wrapper for apt-get. That's what everything uses in the end, as far as I know. (Yeah, the apt-get man page says it's the backend.)

EDIT: This'll be my project for tomorrow. I need something to keep me occupied now that school's out.

[Fenyx]

Re: apt/adept question

Just a bit of clarification:
Adept uses apt-get as backend. apt-get uses dpkg as backend. dpkg has a log in /var/log/, So whatever you do with Adept, apt-get or dpkg, gets logged in that file (although it's less "human readable" than aptitude's log).

Anyway, feel free to scratch your itch with that project. Good luck!

P.S. If you could develop a logging system for Adept, that would be great!

[penguin.ch]

Re: apt/adept question

Ad hoc: dpkg --list | less (further reading)

[SheeEttin]

Re: apt/adept question

Heh, guess I don't need to write that wrapper. /var/log/dpkg.log has everything you need to know.

Though I'm not sure what you mean by suggesting "dpkg --list"; apparently it dumps /var/lib/dpkg/status.

[paralis]

Re: apt/adept question

Well thank you guys for your replies.
For now I'll use /var/log/dpkg.log to check things out.
I do hope adept or even a new app will propose such feature soon.

I have no plan to use synaptic even if I read almost everywhere it's vastly superior to adept. I try to avoid gtk apps to preserve a 'visual' consistency within my QT environment (which is, I must admit, right now, a lil bit hard lol) .