aptback

Download aptback v1.1

A tool to search, install, remove and upgrade packages logged by apt.

aptback can show the apt log in an easy to read format and sorted by date.

Install

make install

It is installed by default in /usr/local

Examples

To see all options type aptback --help

The following examples show the long and short version of the commands.

Show apt log in 2016

aptback -d 2016

Output:

2016-02-27  18:06  install    vim  amd64  (7.4.488-7)
2016-02-27  18:06  install    vim-runtime  amd64  (7.4.488-7)  automatic
2016-02-29  23:27  install    libcommons-dbcp-java  amd64  (1.4-5)  automatic
2016-02-29  23:27  install    tomcat8-common  amd64  (8.0.14-1+deb8u1)  automatic
2016-02-29  23:27  install    libcommons-pool-java  amd64  (1.6-2)  automatic
2016-02-29  23:27  install    libtomcat8-java  amd64  (8.0.14-1+deb8u1)  automatic
2016-02-29  23:27  install    tomcat8  amd64  (8.0.14-1+deb8u1)
2016-02-29  23:27  install    authbind  amd64  (2.1.1)  automatic
2016-02-29  23:27  install    libecj-java  amd64  (3.10.1-1)  automatic
2016-03-01  10:23  install    libchm1  amd64  (0.40a-3+b1)  automatic
2016-03-01  10:23  install    chm2pdf  amd64  (0.9.1-1.1)
2016-03-01  10:23  install    htmldoc  amd64  (1.8.27-8+b1)  automatic
2016-03-01  10:23  install    libchm-bin  amd64  (0.40a-3+b1)  automatic
2016-03-01  10:23  install    python-chm  amd64  (0.8.4.1-1)  automatic
2016-03-01  10:23  install    htmldoc-common  amd64  (1.8.27-8)  automatic
2016-03-01  10:23  install    libfltk1.1  amd64  (1.1.10-19+b1)  automatic
2016-03-01  10:25  remove    chm2pdf  amd64  (0.9.1-1.1)
2016-03-01  10:25  remove    libchm1  amd64  (0.40a-3+b1)
2016-03-01  10:25  remove    htmldoc  amd64  (1.8.27-8+b1)
2016-03-01  10:25  remove    libchm-bin  amd64  (0.40a-3+b1)
2016-03-01  10:25  remove    python-chm  amd64  (0.8.4.1-1)
2016-03-01  10:25  remove    htmldoc-common  amd64  (1.8.27-8)
2016-03-01  10:25  remove    libfltk1.1  amd64  (1.1.10-19+b1)
2016-03-01  10:26  install    libchm1  amd64  (0.40a-3+b1)  automatic
2016-03-01  10:26  install    kchmviewer  amd64  (6.0-1)
2016-03-02  09:19  upgrade    perl  amd64  (5.20.2-3+deb8u3)-->(5.20.2-3+deb8u4)
2016-03-02  09:19  upgrade    libssl1.0.0  amd64  (1.0.1k-3+deb8u2)-->(1.0.1k-3+deb8u4)
2016-03-02  09:19  upgrade    perl-base  amd64  (5.20.2-3+deb8u3)-->(5.20.2-3+deb8u4)
2016-03-02  09:19  upgrade    libperl5.20  amd64  (5.20.2-3+deb8u3)-->(5.20.2-3+deb8u4)
2016-03-02  09:19  upgrade    perl-modules  amd64  (5.20.2-3+deb8u3)-->(5.20.2-3+deb8u4)
2016-03-02  09:19  upgrade    openssl  amd64  (1.0.1k-3+deb8u2)-->(1.0.1k-3+deb8u4)

Show upgraded packages on February 25th 2016 at 12:00

aptback --select upgraded --date 2016-2-25-12

aptback -s u -d 2016-2-31-12

Install packages removed or purged in December 2015

sudo aptback install --select removed,purged --date 2015-12

sudo aptback install -s r,p -d 2015-12

Remove packages installed between two days (these two included)

sudo aptback remove --select installed --date 2016-1-1 --until 2016-1-14

sudo aptback remove -s i -d 2016-1-1 -u 2016-1-14

Downgrade packages upgraded on a specific date

aptback --select upgraded --date 2016-2-15 --export-version > list 
xargs --arg-file list sudo apt-get install

aptback -s u -d 2016-2-15 -v > list
xargs -a list sudo apt-get install

If you want to use advanced apt-get/apt-cache options, you can export the output of aptback and use xargs like this

aptback -s u -d 2016-2 -e > list
xargs -a list sudo apt-get purge

License

GNU General Public License v3