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Package Management Tools

On first entry into the select window a complex list of sections and packages is

visible in the top section of the screen. The arrow keys will move the highlight

bar up and down this list/menu. The order of the packages on this list can

be changed using the `o' key. Press the key several times slowly and the

display changes the order in which packages are displayed from the starting

point, ordered by priority, to ordered by section, and finally to an alphabetical

listing of all available packages.

Further examination of the display will reveal, on the left edge of the display

a cryptic set of symbols like * * or some other form of arcana. Pressing the

v key will expand these symbols into their  English  meanings, each symbol

described by one word on the display line. This results in the loss of the

available and installed versions as well as the short description that was found

on the line before pressing v. Press v again and return the display to the terse

mode.

Next, let's see if we can find a particular package among this information rich

list. Midnight Commander (mc) is a nice package to have, but is not included

in the  standard  packages, so it will not be currently selected for installation.

Use the / key and enter mc when asked what to search for. Like any string

search the package found will not necessarily be the one you are looking for.

There are several other packages that start with mc and, unless the list is

ordered in simple alphabetic order, these other packages are as likely to be

found first as the desired one. To search for the next possibility, simply press

the back slash (\) and the next match will be found. Several repetitions of

this action will eventually find the package in question.

Once the mc package has been found, the bottom section of the screen will

display the  long  description for this package. Pressing the `i' key will provide

several other informative screens. The first gives the installation status of

the package. The next two give various control file displays which provide

additional information about the priority, section, dependencies and package