Lesson 29 of 29 ↓
- 1.Rhel 9 Administration Guide
- 2.Ubuntu Boot Process Guide
- 3.Linux Basic Commands Guide
- 4.Comprehensive Unix Shells Guide
- 5.Mastering Vim Deep & Practical Guide
- 6.Magic Numbers in Linux Deep Systems Guide
- 7.Wildcards & Globbing in Linux Deep Cli Guide
- 8.Linux Users & Groups Deep Administration Guide
- 9.Journaling in Linux Filesystems Deep Systems Guide
- 10.Getopt & Getoptlong Deep System-level Option Parsing Guide
- 11.Su Command in Linux Complete Guide with Environment Variables
- 12.Linux File Permissions and Ownership Complete Practical Guide
- 13.Ubuntu Package Management Apt Complete Guide
- 14.Bash Scripting Basics
- 15.Linux File System Essentials
- 16.Process and Thread Management
- 17.Session 10 : Introduction to Networking & the Application Layer
- 18.Linux Networking Cli & Introduction to Yocto for Machine Routing
- 19.Comprehensive Guide to Ssh (secure Shell)
- 20.Logical Volume Management (lvm) Guide
- 21.C Build Process & Libraries Guide
- 22.Archiving and Compression in Linux
- 23.Linux Package Managers: a Detailed Guide
- 24.Misra-c Guidelines Detailed Cheat Sheet
- 25.Mqtt Server Setup (pc as Server)
- 26.Detailed Explanation of Tty and Pts in Linux
- 27.Vim Cheat Sheet
- 28.Difference Between apt and apt-get
- 29.Difference Between apt Upgrade and apt Full-upgrade
2 min read
Difference Between apt Upgrade and apt Full-upgrade
In Debian-based systems (Ubuntu, Debian, Kali, Mint), package upgrades are handled using the apt command. Two common commands are:
apt upgrade
apt full-upgradeWhile both commands upgrade packages, they behave differently when dealing with dependencies.
apt Upgrade
safe Upgrade (does Not Remove Packages)
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Upgrades installed packages only if the upgrade does not require removing any other package.
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If a package upgrade requires adding or removing dependencies,
apt upgradewill not perform the upgrade. -
Suitable for everyday use.
key Characteristics:
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No package removals.
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No major system changes.
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Only "safe" upgrades.
apt Full-upgrade
smart / Aggressive Upgrade (can Remove Packages)
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Upgrades packages even if doing so requires removing old packages or installing new dependencies.
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Used when major dependency changes occur (kernel upgrades, big version jumps, new meta-packages, etc.).
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Equivalent to the older command:
apt-get dist-upgrade.
key Characteristics:
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May install new dependencies.
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May remove conflicting packages.
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Handles major system transitions.
Practical Example
Imagine package A needs a new dependency B, but installing B requires removing old package C.
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apt upgrade→ Will NOT upgrade A (because it avoids removing C). -
apt full-upgrade→ Will upgrade A, install B, and remove C if necessary.
Summary Table
| Feature | apt upgrade |
apt full-upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Installs new dependencies | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Removes packages | ❌ No | ✔ Yes |
| Safe for daily updates | ✔ Yes | ⚠ Use with caution |
| Handles major system changes | ❌ No | ✔ Yes |
| Equivalent old command | — | apt-get dist-upgrade |
When to Use Each
Use apt Upgrade When:
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Doing routine updates.
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You want zero package removals.
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Stability is more important than having the newest version.
Use apt Full-upgrade When:
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Big system upgrades.
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Kernel upgrades.
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Meta-package or dependency structure changes.
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Upgrading to a new Ubuntu release.
Final Note
Both commands are safe, but:
-
apt upgrade= conservative -
apt full-upgrade= smart/aggressive
Choose based on how much control you want over dependency changes.
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