This section provides commands for managing system updates and packages in Proxmox VE. Learn how to update your system, install and remove packages, search for software, and manage repositories.
System Updates
Command
Description
Action
apt update && apt upgrade -y
Update and upgrade all system packages
apt dist-upgrade -y
Full system upgrade, including dependencies
apt update
Update package lists only
apt upgrade
Upgrade packages only (interactive)
apt full-upgrade
Upgrade packages with dependency handling (interactive)
Proxmox Updates
Command
Description
Action
pveupdate
Update Proxmox package lists
pveupgrade
Show available Proxmox upgrades
pve-upgrade
Perform Proxmox VE upgrade
pveceph upgrade
Upgrade Ceph packages (if Ceph is installed)
Package Management
Command
Description
Action
apt autoremove --purge
Remove unused packages and their config
apt clean
Clear out the local repository of retrieved package files
apt autoclean
Clear out only outdated package files
apt install <package>
Install a specific package
apt remove <package>
Remove a package
apt purge <package>
Remove a package and its configuration files
Package Information
Command
Description
Action
apt list --installed
List all installed packages
apt search <keyword>
Search for packages by keyword
apt show <package>
Show detailed information about a package
dpkg -l
List all installed packages (alternative)
dpkg -l | grep <keyword>
Search installed packages by keyword
apt-cache policy <package>
Show package versions and priorities
Repository Management
Command
Description
Action
cat /etc/apt/sources.list
Show main APT repository sources
ls -la /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
List additional repository source files
cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pve-enterprise.list
Show Proxmox Enterprise repo config
apt-key list
List repository signing keys
Update Best Practices
Always run apt update before installing or upgrading packages
Consider creating a VM snapshot or backup before performing major system upgrades
Replace <package> with the actual package name
Replace <keyword> with your search term
Use apt autoremove --purge periodically to clean up unused packages and free disk space
