apt-cache query the APT package cache. As far as I believe, the only command which modifies the the cache is apt-cache gencaches.
apt-cache [-agipns] [-o=config_string] [-c=config_file] {gencaches | showpkg pkg... | showsrc pkg... | stats | dump | dumpavail | unmet | search regex... | show pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... | depends pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... |
rdepends pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... | pkgnames [prefix] | dotty pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... | xvcg pkg [{=pkg_version_number | /target_release}]... | policy [pkg...] | madison pkg... | {-v | --version} | {-h | --help}}
gencaches | creates APT's package cache. (This operation is executed implicitly by all commands that need this cache if it is missing or outdated. |
showpkg pkg… | displays package information (forward and reverse dependencies). Remaining arguments are package names. The available versions and reverse dependencies of each package listed are listed, as well as forward dependencies for each version. |
stats | Cache statistics (number of packages in the cache etc). |
showsrc pkg… | All the source package records. Using --only-source displays only source package names. (TODO: Error message You must put some 'deb-src' URIs in your sources.list) |
dump | Short listing of every package in the cache. |
dumpavail | Prints out an available list to stdout. (Suitable for use with dpkg, also used by the dselect method.) |
unmet | Summary of all unmet dependencies in the package cache. |
show pkg… | Displays package records. Similar to dpkg --print-avail. |
search regex… | Use POSIX regular expression for searching in package names and descriptions. |
depends pkg… | Report dependencies a package has and all the possible other packages that can fulfill that dependency. |
rdepends pkg… | Show reverse dependencies |
pkgnames [prefix] | All package names that APT knows. The optional prefix filters the result. The output is suitable for use in a shell tab complete function. Consider using the --generate options. |
dotty pkg… | Generate source for a dotty graph (Graphviz) displaying the relationships between packages. (See also the APT::Cache::GivenOnly option). |
xvcg pkg… | The same as dotty but for xvcg from the VCG tool. |
policy [pkg…] | Debug issues relating to the preferences file. Interesting because it shows some interesting the package's local and remote (install candidate) version numbers. |
madison pkg… | Mimic the output format and a subset of the functionality of madison (the Debian archive management tool). |
| Configuration item | |||
-p | --pkg-cache | Select the file to store the package cache. | Dir::Cache::pkgcache |
-s | --src-cache | Select the file to store the source cache (only used by gencaches). When building the package cache the source cache is used to avoid reparsing all of the package files. | Dir::Cache::srcpkgcache |
-q | --quiet | -q -q is even more quiet. | quiet |
-i | --important | Used for unmet and depends: print only important dependencies only. | APT::Cache::Important |
--implicit | used for depends and rdepends to alsoshow implicit dependencies. | APT::Cache::ShowImplicit | |
-f | --full | Print full package records when searching. | APT::Cache::ShowFull |
-a | --no-all-versions | Used for show: Only print candiate version, not full records for all available versions. | APT::Cache::AllVersions |
-g | --no-generate | Don't perform automatic package cache regeneration, rather than use the cache as it is. | APT::Cache::Generate |
-n | --names-only | Search package names only, not in long description | APT::Cache::NamesOnly |
--all-names | Used for pkgnames to print all names (including virtual packages and missing dependencies) | APT::Cache::AllNames | |
--recurse | Used for depends and rdepends to behave recursively: all packages mentioned are printed once. | APT::Cache::RecurseDepends | |
--installed | Used for depends and rdepends to limit the output to currently installed packages. | APT::Cache::Installed | |
--with-source filename | Adds the given file(s) (*.deb, *.dsc and *.changes) as a source for metadata. | APT::Sources::With | |
-h | --help | ||
-v | --version | ||
-c | --config-file | Specify a configuration file to use after reading the default configuration file. | |
-o | --option | Set a configuration option (-o Foo::Bar=bar). |
--all-versions and --generate (which are the default if not indicated. apt-cache depends and apt-cache rdepends print all dependencies. --no-pre-depends
--no-depends
--no-recommends
--no-suggests
--no-conflicts
--no-breaks
--no-replaces
--no-enhances APT::Cache::ShowDependencyType (e.g. APT::Cache::ShowRecommends).