What is the “sudo apt update” command?

Tools and software are not just released once but left alone. Over time as the technology around them evolves from their operating systems to their supporting hardware, the software also needs to stay up to date. If the software becomes too outdated, it might cause various bugs with the upgrading technology or even stop working. This is where the sudo apt update command comes into play on the Ubuntu operating system.

This article will provide you with knowledge and elaborate on the uses of this command as well as the methods of its execution.

What is the “sudo apt update” Command?

The Ubuntu operating system greatly relies on a few core commands that are used very often to keep the system running smoothly. The “sudo apt update” is one of these commands that is an essential part of Ubuntu. To understand what this command does, let’s break down the terms used:

What is “sudo”?

The first is the “sudo” term which stands for superuser do. The super user is the account that has root access over the operating system. This user has the highest level of access possible over the system.

What is “sudo apt”?

The second term is the “apt” keyword. This is used to call the apt repository, which is the library for Ubuntu packages that contains a massive amount of packages. The “sudo apt” means that the “apt” repository is accessed as a super user. Any operation on the “apt” repository must be performed as a root user.

What is “sudo apt update”?

Finally, the “sudo apt update” command indicates that the “apt” is being updated by the super user. This will load the latest packages on the “apt” repository. This command keeps the “apt” repository updated, which allows the user to upgrade the already installed packages or install the latest copy of a package.

How to Use the “sudo apt update” Command?

Open the terminal of your OS and run the below-stated command in it:

$ sudo apt update

As the snippet shows, the repository is updated, and the number of upgradeable packages is also listed. If any package needs an upgrade, it can be achieved using the “sudo apt upgrade” command.

$ sudo apt upgrade

That’s all from this informative guide!

Conclusion

The “sudo apt update” command is used in the Ubuntu terminal to update the system repository. The repository is loaded with the latest packages and lists down the update of installed packages as well. This post has provided the detailed working and usage of the “sudo apt udpate” command.