aptitude is a text-based interface to the package system.

It allows the user to view the list of packages and to perform package management tasks such as installing, upgrading, and removing packages.

• Actions may be performed from a visual interface or from the command-line.

aptitude is a great alternative to apt-get and the best way to install, remove, upgrade, and otherwise administer packages on you system with apt.

• aptitude solves orphaned dependencies and has a curses interface that blows the doors off of dselect.

aptitude cheat sheet

Advantages using aptitude instead of apt-get

Hold a package

Unhold a package