linux-basics

Source: Linux Basics — Connected Objects

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

• Runs a Linux environment on Windows without a separate VM or dual boot
• Container (WSL) = isolated silo on top of host OS kernel — lightweight
• VM = runs a complete OS including its own kernel — heavier

Raspberry Pi OS and Debian

• Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian) = Debian derivative optimized for Pi hardware
• Debian derivatives share: .deb package format, dpkg + apt package manager
• Commands/config from Debian docs apply directly to Raspberry Pi OS

apt — Debian Package Manager

apt automates installing, removing, and configuring packages (tracks dependencies, compatibility).

apt = newer replacement for apt-get — backwards compatible, prefer apt.

Commands

Command	Description
sudo apt update	Refresh list of available packages
sudo apt upgrade	Upgrade all installed packages
sudo apt install <pkg>	Install a package
sudo apt remove <pkg>	Remove a package
sudo apt reinstall <pkg>	Reinstall a package
apt search <query>	Search package descriptions
apt show <pkg>	Show package details
apt list	List installed packages

Common combo:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo rule for apt

• Read commands (apt list, apt search, apt show) → no sudo needed
• Write commands (apt install, apt remove) → require sudo

Python packages in apt

Naming convention: python3-<name> (e.g., sudo apt install python3-build-hat)

Apt Source Repositories

Sources configured in /etc/apt/sources.list. Key repos:

• DebianStable — current release (stable, tested)
• DebianSecurity — frequent security updates
• DebianBackports — newer versions of some packages
• DebianUnstable — rolling dev (not for production)

Warning: mixing repos from different Debian versions = “Franken-Debian” system — can break.

See Also

• Linux and Bash Commands topic
• Python Essentials topic (for python3 packages via apt)