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otter-pkg is a graphical package manager for Debian-family systems. It talks to apt through the zapt API. You can browse, search, and inspect packages without taking the apt lock or asking for a password. Elevation happens only when a system change starts.

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Usage

Launch from otter-launcher or the Otter Packages desktop entry. Search names and descriptions from an in-memory index. Start a query with ? for apt patterns. You can filter installed, upgradable, automatic, held, broken, and selected packages. Detail views show versions, repositories, dependencies, reverse dependencies, installed files, reasons, and change notes. In-app Help covers the UI.

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Changing packages

You can install, update, reinstall, remove, purge, hold, and switch automatic/manual state. Chosen versions are allowed, including downgrades when apt permits them. Updates can be direct, pull in needed software, or run as a full update that permits removals. There is also unused-package cleanup and interrupted-install repair. Before you authenticate, the change preview lists package, download, disk-space, dependency, held-package, and essential-package effects. Optional add-ons and no-longer-needed packages stay separate from required changes. Neither is silently installed or removed. pkexec and polkit run only when a system change begins. After elevation, otter-pkg rechecks a cryptographic summary so the approved set cannot silently become a different set. Live progress shows speed, time remaining, file counts, fetched bytes, and per-package status. Open Details for package setup, settings-file choices, and software-source or installation-media questions. You can cancel safely. Package work holds a logind idle inhibitor and releases it afterward, including failure and cancel paths.

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Safety

The GUI sends a bounded binary request to its own elevated helper. No shell command is assembled from package names. Browsing, detail lookup, local search, saved changes, and history stay unprivileged. Essential removals require the exact phrase REMOVE ESSENTIAL before elevation.

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State files

$XDG_STATE_HOME/otter-pkg/ (or ~/.local/state/otter-pkg/) holds:
  • changes: package choices and update/cleanup options
  • history: the newest 100 completed or failed operations