How to Fix the apt command not found Error on Linux

Linux users must learn how to fix the “apt command not found error” on Linux. In this article, you will learn the easiest way to overcome this and access the apt package without any errors. 

Apt Command: Intro

Linux provides a tool named APT to install, update, remove, search, and configure packages and repositories from the command line interface. In addition, this CLI has several features and is very user-friendly. Some of the common commands related to APT are:

• apt install: to install packages
• apt remove: to remove packages
• apt update: updating packages
• apt upgrade: to upgrade the packages to the latest version
• apt help: to get help related to the apt command

However, the “apt command not found error” sometimes appears on the Terminal. This is due mainly to two reasons:

• The apt package does not exist in the standard version of Ubuntu.
• The apt package manager runs on an older Linux distribution that does not support the apt command. 

Fix the Apt Command Not Found Error

If you wish to fix the apt command not found error, there are several things you need to check. Therefore, follow the instructions to diagnose the reason and fix it. So, let’s get started.

Use the Correct Package Manager

This is the most crucial step—using the correct package manager. If you have any of these OS, then the apt command will not work because these OS support a different package manager. The operating systems are: 

• CentOS
• Fedora
• macOS
• openSUSE
• Arch

CentOS, Fedora, and OpenSUSE distributions use the yum package. To handle package management, for instance, installing the new package, the syntax is:

sudo yum install <packagename>

On the other hand, macOS uses homebrew. The syntax is:

brew install tmux

Lastly, Arch OS handles packages using the Pakman package manager, and its syntax looks something like this:

packman -S tmux 

Check Operating System Version

First, ensure that you run the right OS for the apt command. The apt command will only work on a few distributions of Linux OS, such as Kali, Mint, Debian, and Ubuntu. On the other hand, any other distribution will not support the apt command. 

To check, open the Terminal by pressing “Ctrl + Alt + T” and execute the command given below: 

cat /etc/*-release

Hit the “Enter” key, and you should get a similar output as seen below:

If you get any other output, then it means the command is not supported. 

Check the APT Command Installation 

Alternatively, if you have the appropriate OS, check if the command is installed or not. 

For instance, type:

locate apt-get

Press “Enter” key. You should get the output similar to the one below if the command exists on your system:

Update the APT Command Path to Fix the apt command not found Error

Let’s assume in the first step it does not show the command. However, it is already installed. This means the path to the APT is not correct, so you will have to fix it. For this step, run this specific sources.list file. Specifically, type:

/etc/apt/sources.list

The apt package is located at /usr/bin/apt-get. If you do not see a similar output, fix the file by running the command given below:

cat /etc/apt/sources.list

Output:

Alternatively, check the environment variable using the .bashrc file. For instance, type:

~/$[YOURUSER]/.bashrc

Next, update the apt package. For example:

sudo /usr/bin/apt-get update

Lastly, recheck the .bashrc file to ensure the problem has been resolved. 

Install the APT Command to Fix the apt command not found Error

Alternatively, if you do not get the required output in both steps, then the apt command does not exist on your system. Hence, you will install it. There are two approaches to fixing this problem.

Install the APT Package Using the Wget Command

In the Terminal, use the wget command followed by the URL to the apt command package. Specifically, type:

sudo wget https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/trusty/man8/apt-get.8.html

Hit the “Enter” key to start the installation of the package. Also, make sure to select the appropriate version for the OS. If your OS has 32-bit architecture, then go for the 32-bit version of the apt command. Otherwise, choose the 64-bit one. 

Install the APT Command Using Dpkg

Alternatively, install the apt command using the corresponding .deb package suitable for your OS. in our case, we will use the Ubuntu package. First, head over to the Ubuntu archive URL.

Look for the /pool/main/a/apt/ to locate the apt package. After that, choose the appropriate architecture version. Click on it to download the .deb package. Next, in the Terminal, use the dpkg command to install the downloaded package. For instance, type:

sudo dpkg -i /path/to/apt_deb_file.deb

Remember to replace the sample path with the path in your OS. For example:

sudo dpkg -i /Home/Sidrah/Downloads/apt-get.8.deb

Wait for it to complete and retry Step 1 to ensure the correct installation of the apt command. 

Reset the OS

If none of the above steps worked, it is time to reinstall the newer version of the Linux OS. this will install the apt command again and will not cause the apt command not found error. Hopefully, this will fix the problem. 

Hopefully, through this guide, you have fixed the apt command and not found an error. Otherwise, the last step will help you have a fresh OS installation. It will quickly fix all the faults. Do not forget to leave a comment below if you have any questions or issues. We will try to include the suggestions in the upcoming articles. 

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