gdebi is a command-line tool for installing .deb files on Debian and Ubuntu Linux distributions. It is designed as a simple and user-friendly alternative to the dpkg tool, which is the default package installer on these systems.
The main advantage of gdebi over dpkg is its ability to automatically resolve and install dependencies. When you install a package using gdebi, it checks the package’s dependencies and downloads any missing packages from the system’s package repositories. This eliminates the need for manually installing dependencies and makes the installation process smoother and more reliable.
gdebi also has a few other features that make it more convenient to use than dpkg:
- It can automatically download packages from the internet if they are not found in the local system.
- It can also handle dependencies that are provided by other .deb packages.
- It can also handle conflicts between packages.
The basic usage of gdebi is very simple, you just need to provide the name of the package you want to install.
# gdebi [package-name].deb
It’s also possible to use gdebi with a graphical user interface, which is called gdebi-gtk. gdebi is a convenient tool for installing .deb files on Debian and Ubuntu systems. Its ability to automatically resolve and install dependencies makes it a more user-friendly alternative to dpkg and makes it a good choice for users who want a simple and reliable way to install software on their system.
If you encounter the below error while running the command gdebi:
gdebi: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install gdebi-core |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install gdebi-core |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install gdebi-core |
| Raspbian | apt-get install gdebi-core |
gdebi Command Examples
1. Install local `.deb` packages resolving and installing its dependencies:
# gdebi path/to/package.deb
2. Display the program version:
# gdebi --version
3. Do not show progress information:
# gdebi path/to/package.deb --quiet
4. Set an APT configuration option:
# gdebi path/to/package.deb --option=APT_OPTS
5. Use alternative root dir:
# gdebi path/to/package.deb --root=path/to/root_dir