EnglishPurpose
The purpose of this article is to describe and explore ways to copy or backup your currently existing installed software titles into a single file for later use. We can then use this file to reinstall the software onto another system or clone the existing software across multiple Linux systems on or across a network. This method also prevents the need to install software titles one by one.
Keep this list safe! If you format your system with the file still on it, you will lose all of the information needed to reinstall the software.
To summarize, the following commands will accomplish the following on CentOS 7 & Ubuntu 18:
- List all software.
- List the number of packages installed.
- Search for a specific package.
- Add installed software to a text file.
- Install software from a text file.
CentOS7
RPM
List all software:
[root@host ~]# rpm -qaList number of packages installed:
[root@host ~]# rpm -qa | wc -lSearch for a specific package:
[root@host ~]# rpm -q tmuxAdd installed software to a text file:
[root@host ~]# rpm -qa | tr '\n' ' ' > allthethings.txtInstall software from a text file:
There exists no method to restore from a file list using RPM. Yum must be used.
YUM
List all software:
[root@host ~]# yum list installedList number of packages installed:
[root@host ~]# yum list installed | wc -lSearch for a specific package:
[root@host ~]# yum list installed | grep unzipAdd installed software to a text file:
[root@host ~]# yum list installed | awk '{print $1}' | tr '\n' ' ' > allthethings.txtInstall software from a text file:
[root@host ~]# yum -y install $(cat allthethings.txt)Ubuntu18
APT
List all software:
[root@host ~]# apt list --installedList number of packages installed:
[root@host ~]# apt list --installed | wc -lSearch for specific package:
[root@host ~]# apt list --installed | grep PHPAdd installed software to a text file:
[root@host ~]# apt list --installed > allthethings.txt
Or
[root@host ~]# apt list --installed | awk -F/ -v ORS=" " 'NR>1 {print $1}' > allthethings.txtInstall software from a text file:
[root@host ~]# xargs -a allthethings.txt apt installDPKG
List all software:
[root@host ~]# dpkg -l | grep ^ii List number of packages installed:
[root@host ~]# dpkg -l | grep ^ii | wc -lSearch for specific package:
[root@host ~]# dpkg -l | grep ^ii | grep -i PHPAdd installed software to a text file:
[root@host ~]# dpkg-query -f '${binary:Package}\n' -W > allthethings.txt
or
[root@host ~]# dpkg --get-selections > allthethings.txtInstall software from a text file:
[root@host ~]# apt-get install < allthethings.txtFurther Detail
After reinstalling your base Linux system, copy or upload a copy of the ‘.txt’ file to your system. Please ensure you have installed the same version of your OS on your new or remote system. Once the file has been copied, install the packages from the .txt file using one of the above noted commands as the root user. The package manager will install all of the packages listed in the ‘.txt’ file on your system.
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And there you have it! You can now feel safe when reinstalling all of your existing software on your systems into a new system!
