| Syntax | Description |
| aptitude | Running it with no arguments brings up a curses based interface to search, navigate, install, update and otherwise administer packages. |
| aptitude install <package> | Install software for the system, installing needed dependencies as well. |
| aptitude -d install <package> | Download packages to the package cache as necessary, but do not install or remove anything. |
| aptitude remove <package> | Remove packages as well as orphaned dependencies. |
| aptitude purge <package> | Remove packages and orphaned dependencies as well as any configuration files left behind. |
| aptitude search <search_term> | Search for packages in the local apt package lists. |
| aptitude update | Update the local packages lists. |
| aptitude upgrade | Upgrade any installed packages that have been updated. |
| aptitude clean | Delete any downloaded files necessary for installing the software on the system. |
| aptitude dist-upgrade | Upgrade packages, even if it means uninstalling certain packages. |
| aptitude show <package> | Show details about a package name. |
| aptitude autoclean | Delete only out-of-date packages, but keep current ones. |
| aptitude hold <package> | Fix a package at its current version, and do not update it. |