Updates and Packages
Curated reference of apt and Proxmox-specific upgrade commands: system updates, package install / remove / purge, package lookups (apt-cache policy, dpkg -l), and repository configuration inspection.
Always update the index first
apt update refreshes the local package index from the configured repositories. Without it, apt install may pull stale versions or fail with "Unable to locate package".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| apt autoclean | Clear out only outdated package files | |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 |
Take a backup before major upgrades
For point releases (8.4.1 → 8.4.5) the standard
apt update && apt upgrade is safe. For major version upgrades (PVE 8 → 9) use the dedicated ProxMenux flow: Upgrade PVE 8 to PVE 9 — it adds pre-flight checks, repository migration and post-upgrade validation.Related
- Proxmox System Update (interactive) — wrapper that does all of this with a confirmation dialog and reboot prompt.
- Upgrade PVE 8 to PVE 9 — for major-version upgrades.
- Help and Info overview.