How to Check Package Dependencies in Linux? [3 Easy Ways]

Note: Replace <package-name> with the actual package name.

If you are using ArchLinux and pactree is not installed in your system, run the following command to install it first:

sudo pacman -S pacman-contrib

Now, I’ll show you some methods to check dependencies in the Ubuntu distribution.

3 Methods to Check Package Dependencies in Ubuntu

Sometimes checking the dependencies of a software package becomes the first step of installing the software. You can use 3 different methods to check dependencies in Ubuntu. These are:

1) apt package manager

• apt show command
• apt-cache command

2) dpkg command

3) Third-party tool called rDpenends

Method 01: Use APT to Check Package Dependencies in Linux

The apt package manager provides two straightforward ways to check any software dependency. These are 1) apt show command and 2) apt-cache command. You just have to use the sudo command to use the “apt show” method.

Suppose, you want to install VLC player. Before installing, you want to check the dependency packages of VLC.

A. Using apt show Command to Check Package Dependencies

This command provides information about the package such as version, type of the package, total download size, etc. Also, the output has a special section – “Depends” that lists all the dependency packages with their required version.

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first, open your Ubuntu terminal. You can press CTRL+ALT+T.

➋ Then, run the following command in the command line:

sudo apt show vlc

➌ Now, give the password of the currently logged-in user and hit ENTER. The highlighted box shows the dependency package list with the version number inside the “Depends” section.

B. Using apt-cache Command to Check Package Dependencies

This command lists out only the dependency package name. It doesn’t show the version, type of package, publisher information, etc. The output only focuses on the dependency package name to enhance readability for you.

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first, open your Ubuntu terminal. You can press CTRL+ALT+T.

➋ Then, run the following command in the command line:

apt-cache depends vlc

➌ Now, enter the password of the currently logged-in user and hit ENTER.The highlighted “Depends” section lists mandatory packages for VLC. Also, the output shows some recommendations and suggestion packages for a better user experience.

Method 02: Use DPKG to Check Package Dependencies of an Existing Package in Linux

dpkg is a package manager for Debian distribution. It can also be used to install, uninstall and update packages. You can use dpkg to check dependency if a package is already installed in your system. I will show you dpkg dependency checking for VLC. At first, I will install VLC.

Step 01: Install the Package on Ubuntu

If you want to use dpkg to know what are the dependency files of a package, first you have to install the package. You can skip this step if you have the package already installed in your system. If you don’t, follow the steps to install the package:

Steps to Follow >

➊ Open your Ubuntu terminal. Press CTRL+ALT+T.

➋ Type the following command:

sudo apt install vlc

➌ Now, give the password of the current user and press ENTER.This command installs the VLC player on your system. If you have already installed VLC in your system then the output will look like this:So, you have VLC downloaded and installed in your system.

Step 02: Check Dependencies Using DPKG

Once you have installed the package, anytime you can check the dependencies of the package using dpkg. To check dependencies using DPLG follow the steps:

Steps to Follow >

➊ Open your Ubuntu terminal by pressing CTRL+ALT+T.

➋ Type the following command:

dpkg -s vlc

➌ Tap ENTER key.The output lists dependencies after version, publisher, size, and some other information. It also shows the required version of dependency packages in braces.

Method 03: Use APT-rDepends Tool to Check Package Dependencies in Linux

APT-rDepends is a popular and user-friendly third-party tool for checking package dependencies. This tool performs a recursive listing of package dependencies like apt-cache but it also shows the required version of those dependencies.

Step 01: Install APT-rDepends on Ubuntu

Installing rDepends is a one-time process. Generally, this tool is not installed in your system by default. So, you have to install it before using. Follow this steps to install rDepends:

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first, open your Ubuntu terminal. You can press CTRL+ALT+T.

➋ Type the following command in the command line to install rDepends on your system:

sudo apt-get install -y apt-rdpends

➌ Press ENTER.

➍ Now, give the password of the currently logged-in user and hit ENTER.The above command installs apt-rdepends package to help you check other package dependencies. If this installation command doesn’t work for you, see our Common Challenge section to overcome this.

Step 02: Check Dependencies Using rDepends

Once you install rDepends on your system you can use it to check dependency for any packages. The “apt-rdepends” has the following syntax:

sudo apt-rdepends <PackageName>

Let’s use it for checking the dependencies of VLC. To do so, type the following command in the command line:

sudo apt-rdepends vlc

This command will show all the dependencies in a recursive manner. For example: VLC depends on vlc-bin, vlc-bin depends on libc6, libc6 depends on libcrypt1 and so on. So, this command will help you to see all the nested dependencies required for installing the VLC player.

Comparative Analysis of Methods to Check Package Dependencies in Linux

I’ve discussed three methods for checking the dependencies of a package in Linux, which can lead you to confusion when selecting the most suitable option. Hence, to simplify your decision-making process, this section provides a comparative analysis of the three distinct approaches. By exploring the pros and cons of each scenario, you can make an informed choice that aligns with your needs and preferences.