A reverse dictionary of applications

[pwabrahams]

This is, perhaps, a philosophical question: is there a general way of finding the Kubuntu application for a given task? It's like a reverse dictionary where you specify the meaning and get back words with that meaning, or a "visual thesaurus" where you search pictures of objects to find the names of those objects (like the parts of a window--the glass kind). I've asked a number of questions here recently of that nature; it would be nice if I could answer them for myself and not trouble others (who have been very generous with their time) with them.

[josefko]

Re: A reverse dictionary of applications

I would try:
1. Synaptic, you can use even more words, it searches in descriptions too.
2. Google, better use word Ubuntu for searching programs than Kubuntu.
3. This forum advanced search (magnifying glass)

[Snowhog]

Re: A reverse dictionary of applications

From the CLI (console), you can type:

apt-cache showpkg pkg(s)

where pkg(s) is a package name (or multiple package names separated by spaces). Thus,

apt-cache showpkg kontact

shows:

Package: kontact
Versions:
4:4.3.2-0ubuntu1~ppa1~jaunty1 (/var/lib/apt/lists/ppa.launchpad.net_kubuntu-ppa_backports_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_binary-i386_Packages) (/var/lib/dpkg/status)
Description Language:
File: /var/lib/apt/lists/ppa.launchpad.net_kubuntu-ppa_backports_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_binary-i386_Packages
MD5: c7bdd6463ba9913bda3ec3fc5b9f53cc

4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1.1 (/var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates_main_binary-i386_Packages)
Description Language:
File: /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates_main_binary-i386_Packages
MD5: c7bdd6463ba9913bda3ec3fc5b9f53cc

4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1 (/var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_bin ary-i386_Packages)
Description Language:
File: /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty_main_bin ary-i386_Packages
MD5: c7bdd6463ba9913bda3ec3fc5b9f53cc


Reverse Depends:
akregator,kontact 4:4.2.85
kaddressbook,kontact 4:4.2.85
kdepim,kontact 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu1~ppa1~jaunty1
kdepim-dev,kontact 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu1~ppa1~jaunty1
kjots,kontact 4:4.1.80
kmail,kontact 4:4.2.85
knode,kontact 4:4.1.80
knotes,kontact 4:4.2.85
korganizer,kontact 4:4.2.85
ktimetracker,kontact 4:4.1.80
libkontactinterfaces4,kontact 4:4.2.85
kdepim-dev,kontact 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1.1
kdepim,kontact 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1.1
ichthux-desktop,kontact
kubuntu-desktop,kontact
kdepim-dev,kontact 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1
kdepim,kontact 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1
Dependencies:
4:4.3.2-0ubuntu1~ppa1~jaunty1 - kdebase-runtime (2 4:4.3.0) kdelibs5 (2 4:4.3.2) kdepimlibs5 (2 4:4.3.2) libc6 (2 2.4) libgcc1 (2 1:4.1.1) libkdepim4 (5 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu1~ppa1~jaunty1) libkontactinterfaces4 (5 4:4.3.2-0ubuntu1~ppa1~jaunty1) libqt4-dbus (2 4.5.1) libqt4-network (2 4.5.1) libqt4-qt3support (2 4.5.1) libqt4-svg (2 4.5.1) libqt4-xml (2 4.5.1) libqtcore4 (2 4.5.1) libqtgui4 (2 4.5.1) libstdc++6 (2 4.2.1) kdepim-runtime (0 (null)) gnokii (0 (null)) kjots (0 (null)) knode (0 (null)) kmail (0 (null)) knotes (0 (null)) akregator (0 (null)) kaddressbook (0 (null)) korganizer (0 (null)) kontact-kde4 (0 (null)) akregator (3 4:4.1.80) kmail (3 4:4.2.85) kontact-kde4 (0 (null)) korganizer (3 4:4.1.80)
4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1.1 - kaddressbook (0 (null)) kdebase-runtime (2 4:4.2.1) kdelibs5 (2 4:4.2.1) kdepimlibs5 (2 4:4.2.2) korganizer (0 (null)) libc6 (2 2.4) libgcc1 (2 1:4.1.1) libkdepim4 (5 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1.1) libkholidays4 (5 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1.1) libqt4-dbus (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqt4-network (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqt4-qt3support (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqt4-svg (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqt4-xml (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqtcore4 (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqtgui4 (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libstdc++6 (2 4.2.1) akregator (0 (null)) knewsticker (0 (null)) kweather (0 (null)) gnokii (0 (null)) knode (0 (null)) kmail (0 (null)) knotes (0 (null)) kontact-kde4 (0 (null)) kontact-kde4 (0 (null))
4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1 - kaddressbook (0 (null)) kdebase-runtime (2 4:4.2.1) kdelibs5 (2 4:4.2.1) kdepimlibs5 (2 4:4.2.2) korganizer (0 (null)) libc6 (2 2.4) libgcc1 (2 1:4.1.1) libkdepim4 (5 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1) libkholidays4 (5 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1) libqt4-dbus (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqt4-network (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqt4-qt3support (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqt4-svg (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqt4-xml (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqtcore4 (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libqtgui4 (2 4.5.0~+rc1) libstdc++6 (2 4.2.1) akregator (0 (null)) knewsticker (0 (null)) kweather (0 (null)) gnokii (0 (null)) knode (0 (null)) kmail (0 (null)) knotes (0 (null)) kontact-kde4 (0 (null)) kontact-kde4 (0 (null))
Provides:
4:4.3.2-0ubuntu1~ppa1~jaunty1 -
4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1.1 -
4:4.2.2-0ubuntu1 -
Reverse Provides:

[pwabrahams]

Package search

From the CLI (console), you can type:

apt-cache showpkg pkg(s)

where pkg(s) is a package name (or multiple package names separated by spaces).

The problem is in knowing what package to look for. That's 90% of the battle.

[Telengard]

Re: A reverse dictionary of applications

http://packages.ubuntu.com/
http://kde.org/family/
http://www.kde-apps.org/
http://www.getdeb.net/