APT 3.1.0 Released: New Commands and Features for Linux Package Management

On May 19, 2025, version 3.1.0 of the APT toolkit—a core component of the package management system in Debian and its derivative distributions—was officially released. Written in C++ and Shell, the project’s source code is distributed under the GPL license. This release follows the stable debut of APT 3.0.0, which was unveiled in April.

Branch 3.1.0 is currently classified as experimental and has been incorporated into the Debian Experimental repository. A stable release, APT 3.2, will be prepared once the new version matures. However, this branch will not be included in Debian 13, which is presently nearing release.

The new version is already available in Debian Unstable, bringing enhanced functionality and improved usability in package management.

Among the most notable innovations:

• Introduction of the apt why and apt why‑not commands, which clarify why a given package is installed—or why it isn’t;
• Addition of Include and Exclude parameters in .sources files, enabling whitelisting and blacklisting of packages for more precise filtering;
• The legacy dselect utility now supports HTTPS, marking a significant improvement in security;
• In Ubuntu, the new Solver3 dependency resolution engine has been enabled by default. With support for backtracking, it provides more accurate conflict resolution during package installation.

A complete list of changes is available in the project’s changelog on GitLab.