Nala(8)

📦
version 0.16.0 · 3 versions
, in debian trixie, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

✨ Nala ✨

ok so you found the manual for Nala(8), aka Nala User Manual, aka the prettiest lil front-end to libapt-pkg you ever did see. buckle up bestie, we're doing package management but make it 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

Nala — a front-end for libapt-pkg. that's it. that's the name. iconic.

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

nala <command> [--options] PKGS ...

so like, command first, then whatever flags you're feeling, then the packages. that's the whole vibe.

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

nala is a prettier front-end for libapt-pkg. yeah. we said prettier. we meant it. 😌

the goals of nala are, and I quote my own heart here: be similar to apt but add quality of life changes, and improve the output so it's actually reader friendly. no more wall-of-text energy. no more squinting. we're giving readable. we're giving slay.

💖 COMMANDS 💖

🌈 install

nala takes multiple packages as arguments and will install all of them, just like apt does. same energy, better fit.

and here's the part that's lowkey the whole point: nala downloads packages in parallel. along with this, nala can download packages from multiple mirrors concurrently to speed up downloads even further. we put in place a limit to 3 packages per mirror so we don't put too much pressure on them — nobody likes a clingy client — and this caps out at a maximum of 16.

for more information and options run nala install --help

🌸 remove

remove works similar to the way it does in apt, but nala will also autoremove packages. surprise bestie, you're getting a two-for-one.

for more information and options run nala remove --help

🎀 purge

purge works similar to remove, but also gets rid of configuration files. it's giving no-contact. it's giving scorched earth. respectfully. 💀

for more information and options run nala purge --help

✨ update

update updates the package list. works exactly like apt update with better formatting. that's the whole thing. glow-up only, no behaviour changes.

🦋 upgrade

upgrade only upgrades packages, does NOT install or remove any packages. read that again. only upgrades.

by default nala will run the equivalent of apt update && apt-get upgrade --auto-remove.

this behavior can be changed in the configuration file, or you can use nala upgrade --no-update.

⚠️ heads up: upgrade with nala is not the same as upgrade with apt. it is equivalent to apt-get upgrade. do not get it twisted, bestie.

for more information and options run nala upgrade --help

👑 full-upgrade

full-upgrade upgrades and installs NEW packages and removes packages if necessary. it does the whole thing. main character behaviour fr fr.

by default nala will run the equivalent of apt update && apt full-upgrade --auto-remove.

this behavior can be changed in the configuration file, or you can use nala upgrade --no-update.

for more information and options run nala upgrade --help

🧚 autoremove

autoremove removes any packages that are no longer needed. spring cleaning, but automated. obsessed.

for more information and options run nala autoremove --help

💜 autopurge

autopurge purges any packages that are no longer needed. same as above but with even less mercy.

for more information and options run nala autopurge --help

🌟 clean

clean will remove any .deb files in the archive directory, typically /var/cache/apt/archives. declutter era.

for more information and options run nala clean --help

🍓 fetch

fetch is the first command that doesn't have an apt counterpart. we're off the map now, bestie. no cap.

nala will parse either:

nala will then select the mirrors that it has determined are the fastest.

this is done by downloading the Release file and timing how long it takes. literally just vibing and timing things. ⏱️

for more information and options run nala fetch --help

💫 show

show gives you information about the given package(s), highlighted with color to improve readability. pretty information. information with aesthetic.

for more information and options run nala show --help

search searches all packages in the cache with a regex string. by default it searches package names, source names, and descriptions.

for more information and options run nala search --help

📋 list

list lists packages in the cache. short. sweet. does what it says on the tin.

for more information and options run nala list --help

🕰️ history

history is another command not found in apt. every install, remove, or upgrade command is stored with an id. you can use history to view these in a summary style view, and even go more in depth with history info [id]. if you're familiar with how Fedora's dnf history command works, then you'll feel right at home. iykyk 🫶

this command is inspired by dnf's history functionality.

for more information and options run nala history --help

🌈 EXAMPLES 🌈

  • nala install --update wine — downloads and installs wine, updating the package cache first.
  • nala upgrade --no-update — upgrades the system without updating the package cache.
  • nala fetch --auto --fetches 8 --country US — fetches 8 mirrors in the United States uninteractively.

🙈 BUGS 🙈

found a bug? want a feature? submit bug reports and feature requests online at:

<https://gitlab.com/volian/nala/-/issues>

we're listening. we're also reading. probably. 💖

💅 SEE ALSO 💅

sources at: <https://gitlab.com/volian/nala>

💜 AUTHORS 💜

Copyright (C) 2021, 2022 Blake Lee

and that's the whole page bestie, you ate it, you read it, you're basically a package management legend now. this was Nala(8) — Nala User Manual — version 0.16.0, dated 21 Apr 2025. go install something cute. 🎀✨🦋

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