How do you check if an application is installed under linux?

Question

I am new to linux (just installed ubuntu 8.04) and I need GNU-make in order to install an application. How do I check if it (or any other application) is installed ?

Answer 1

dpkg-query -W 'make'

If it comes up with something like "make 3.1 build xoxo" ; it means make is installed. Otherwise it will say "No matching packages found" or something similar.

Also, what exactly are you trying to install using make? If its a common application you do not need to compile yourself, its in the repos. You can open synaptic package manager and install from there or just do

sudo apt-get install packagename

Answer 2

you could click Applications-Add/Remove software and check to see if you can install it or if it's installed?

Answer 3

You can also use synaptic to do a search - either on the name of the program (which you say you don't know) or part of the name, or what the program does - editor will get you a listing of files / programs that are related to editors - you scroll through the list and see if the program is there, and if the box indicates it is installed, there you know. You may have to be creative with the search words that you use.

Answer 4

<app name> --help

Answer 5

Use tab-completion.  Enter the first few letters of the name on the command like and hit the <Tab> key.

Had you known the exact name:

  which <app name>

Answer 6

synaptic

the app name is 'make'

btw, if you install an app using synaptic, it will find and install dependencies for you.