Debian tracks most software as .deb packages managed by APT and dpkg. When you audit a server, clone a workstation, or track down a dependency, you usually need one of three things: the full package list, a lookup for one name, or a count or export you can reuse elsewhere.
This guide is organized by what you want to find on Debian 11 (Bullseye), 12 (Bookworm), and 13 (Trixie). I ran every command on Debian 13 and kept real terminal output below. For Ubuntu-specific naming, see list installed packages on Ubuntu.
Tested on: Debian 13 (trixie); kernel 6.12.94+deb13-amd64; amd64.
.deb packages only. Snap and Flatpak apps use separate commands. A complete inventory on a typical desktop combines all three when those installers are present.
What do you want to find?
| Goal | Command or section |
|---|---|
Full list of installed .deb packages |
apt list --installed |
| Classic table with status codes | dpkg -l |
| Check one package by name | Search a specific package |
| How many packages are installed | Count installed packages |
| Packages with updates waiting | List upgradable packages |
| Packages you chose yourself | Manually installed packages |
| Snap applications | List Snap packages |
| Flatpak applications | List Flatpak apps |
| Save names to a file | Export the package list |
| Largest packages by disk use | Packages by installed size |
| When something was installed | Install history from logs |
| Which package owns a file | Reverse lookup with dpkg -S |
Prerequisites
- Debian 11, 12, or 13 with apt and dpkg.
- Terminal access (local or SSH).
- No
sudorequired for read-only listing commands. - Related guides: install Git on Debian, remove unused packages on Ubuntu (same
apt autoremoveconcepts on Debian).
List all .deb packages with apt
On current Debian releases, apt list --installed is the most readable default:
apt list --installedPipe through less when the list is long:
apt list --installed | lessThe first lines on my host:
WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.
Listing...
7zip/stable,now 25.01+dfsg-1~deb13u2 amd64 [installed,automatic]
accountsservice/stable,now 23.13.9-7 amd64 [installed,automatic]
acl/stable,now 2.3.2-2+b1 amd64 [installed]
adduser/stable,stable,now 3.152 all [installed]Common tags in the last column:
| Tag | Meaning |
|---|---|
[installed] |
You (or an explicit apt install) chose this package |
[installed,automatic] |
Installed as a dependency |
[installed,local] |
Installed from a local .deb (for example Google Chrome) |
apt. For scripts, prefer dpkg-query—the Debian FAQ on package tools documents dpkg --list as the low-level equivalent.
List packages with dpkg -l
dpkg -l prints the dpkg database directly. The Debian FAQ documents this as the standard way to learn what is installed. Every row starts with a two-letter status code; ii means installed and configured:
dpkg -lHeader and sample rows:
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Architecture Description
+++-====================-================-============-=================================
ii google-chrome-stable 149.0.7827.200-1 amd64 The web browser from Google
ii acl 2.3.2-2+b1 amd64 access control list - utilitiesFilter installed rows with grep:
dpkg -l | grep '^ii' | grep steamPattern matching:
dpkg-query -l 'steam*'Machine-readable names and versions:
dpkg-query -W -f='${Package}\t${Version}\n' | head -57zip 25.01+dfsg-1~deb13u2
accountsservice 23.13.9-7
acl 2.3.2-2+b1
adduser 3.152
adwaita-icon-theme 48.1-1Search for a specific package
By name with apt
apt list --installed google-chrome-stablegoogle-chrome-stable/now 149.0.7827.200-1 amd64 [installed,local]Glob patterns:
apt list --installed 'linux-image*'Filter the full list
apt list --installed 2>/dev/null | grep -i steamsteam-devices/stable,stable,now 1:1.0.0.83~ds-3 all [installed]
steam-libs/stable,now 1:1.0.0.83~ds-3 amd64 [installed,auto-removable]Detailed metadata
apt show google-chrome-stable
dpkg -s google-chrome-stableapt show includes Installed-Size and APT-Manual-Installed:
Package: google-chrome-stable
Version: 149.0.7827.200-1
Installed-Size: 422 MB
APT-Manual-Installed: yesCount installed packages
Quiet count with apt:
apt -qq list --installed 2>/dev/null | wc -lCount ii rows with dpkg:
dpkg -l | awk '/^ii/ {print $2}' | wc -lBoth returned 2286 on my host.
dpkg-query -W | wc -l returned 2288 because it also includes 2 packages in rc state (removed but configuration files left). For installed binaries only, filter ^ii or use apt list --installed.
Legacy selection count (still works):
dpkg --get-selections | grep -w install | wc -lThat returned 2286 on the same system.
List upgradable packages
Refresh metadata, then list packages with a newer version in your configured sources:
sudo apt update
apt list --upgradableCount pending upgrades:
apt -qq list --upgradable 2>/dev/null | wc -lAn empty list right after sudo apt upgrade is normal.
List manually installed packages
APT records whether you explicitly installed a package or it arrived only as a dependency.
List manual packages:
apt-mark showmanualFirst lines on my host:
acl
adduser
apt
apt-listchanges
apt-utils
base-files
base-passwd
bashCount:
apt-mark showmanual | wc -l233That is 233 manual packages versus 2286 total—most entries are automatic dependencies pulled in by tools like Node.js or Steam.
List automatic-only packages:
apt-mark showauto | headProtect a dependency from apt autoremove:
sudo apt-mark manual packagenameList Snap packages
Snaps are not in the apt database. If snapd is installed:
snap listExample output:
Name Version Rev Tracking Publisher
bare 1.0 5 latest/stable canonical**
core24 20260410 1643 latest/stable canonical**
snapd 2.68.3 … latest/stable canonical**Count application snaps (excluding base snaps) with your own filter, or count all rows minus the header:
snap list | tail -n +2 | wc -lList Flatpak apps
If Flatpak is installed:
flatpak list --appList runtimes and apps together:
flatpak listFlatpak software does not appear in apt list --installed or dpkg -l.
Export the package list to a file
All installed package names
Save one name per line:
dpkg-query -f '${binary:Package}\n' -W > ~/packages.txt
head ~/packages.txt7zip
accountsservice
acl
adduser
adwaita-icon-themeManual packages only (migration checklist)
apt-mark showmanual > ~/manual-packages.txt
wc -l ~/manual-packages.txt233 manual-packages.txtCopy to another Debian machine
- Copy
manual-packages.txtto the target system. - Enable the same third-party sources (
google-chrome.sources, Valve Steam repo, etc.). - Install as a checklist:
xargs -a manual-packages.txt sudo apt installExact versions will not match unless releases and mirrors align—treat the file as a shopping list, not a perfect clone.
Human-readable apt export
apt list --installed 2>/dev/null > ~/apt-installed.txtFind the largest installed packages
dpkg-query exposes Installed-Size in kilobytes:
dpkg-query -Wf '${Installed-Size}\t${Package}\n' | sort -rn | head -8On my host:
411683 google-chrome-stable
328963 sidra
266558 firefox-esr
236466 locales-all
218823 plexmediaserver
142823 libllvm19Readable megabytes:
dpkg-query -Wf '${Installed-Size}\t${Package}\n' | sort -rn | head -8 | \
awk '{printf "%s\t%.1f MB\n", $2, $1/1024}'Package install history from logs
dpkg.log (per-package timestamps)
grep ' install ' /var/log/dpkg.log | tail -52026-06-29 05:18:06 install flatpak:amd64 <none> 1.16.6-1~deb13u1
2026-06-29 05:19:36 install steam-devices:all <none> 1:1.0.0.83~ds-3
2026-06-29 05:23:05 install google-chrome-stable:amd64 <none> 149.0.7827.200-1Search rotated logs:
zgrep ' install google-chrome' /var/log/dpkg.log*apt history.log (whole apt sessions)
grep -E '^Commandline:|^Install:' /var/log/apt/history.log | tail -8Shows commands like apt install -y ./steam_latest.deb with package names installed in that session.
Logs rotate and do not record packages from the initial Debian installer image.
Find which package owns a file
When you find a binary on disk and need the owning package:
dpkg -S /usr/bin/google-chrome-stablegoogle-chrome-stable: /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable/usr/bin/google-chrome may not resolve with dpkg -S. Point at the real binary path or run readlink -f /usr/bin/google-chrome first.
List files shipped by one package:
dpkg -L google-chrome-stable | headThe Debian FAQ also describes apt-file search when the file comes from a package not currently installed.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI |
Normal when piping apt |
Use dpkg-query in scripts or redirect stderr |
| Package missing from apt list but file exists | Snap, Flatpak, or manual binary | Run snap list, flatpak list, or dpkg -S /path |
dpkg-query -W count higher than ^ii |
rc config leftovers |
sudo apt purge packagename or ignore rc rows |
apt-mark showmanual seems too large |
Metapackages and admin tools marked manual | Cross-check with apt history.log |
Empty apt list --upgradable after update |
System already current | Expected after sudo apt upgrade |
References
- Debian FAQ — Package management tools
- Debian FAQ — What packages are installed?
- Debian FAQ — Find package for a file
- manpages.debian.org — dpkg-query(1)
- manpages.debian.org — apt-mark(8)
- On-site: list installed packages on Ubuntu, apt command, dpkg command, grep command
Summary
List installed packages on Debian with apt list --installed for a readable inventory, dpkg -l for the classic status table, and apt-mark showmanual when you only want packages you explicitly installed. Count with apt -qq list --installed 2>/dev/null | wc -l or dpkg -l | grep -c '^ii'—both returned 2286 here. Add snap list and flatpak list for non-apt software, export apt-mark showmanual when rebuilding another machine, and use dpkg -S or /var/log/dpkg.log when you need file ownership or install dates.
