Products · Product
apt
Raised as a usability problem by 37 people on Hacker News over 17 years (2009–2025), in 36 threads.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads in the last 5 years.
Every issue, all time, most people first
Can't force install past missing dependencies without removing packagesUnreviewed
20092026- Packages fail to install or update because a library is stuck on an unavailable version2020-06-23
- Package installs fail with confusing dependency errors and unhelpful suggested fixes2019-11-12
- Cannot force install past missing dependencies without removing packages, requiring repeated reinstalls2013-11-19
Dist-upgrades leave packages half-installed, system seems brokenUnreviewed
20092026- Upgrades break installs and only one previous package is stored, so reverting is impossible2024-12-31
- Dist-upgrades leave packages half-installed, making the system appear mysteriously broken2023-08-14
- Apt breaks and forces manual dpkg fixes after failed upgrades or installs2017-04-15
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 38 complaints
- Installing packages with DPKG/APT is too slow to tolerate2025-08-10
- User experience becomes a nightmare when needing software outside default repositories2025-05-23
- Installing packages takes several times longer, interrupting the user's workflow each time2025-05-17
- Upgrades break installs and only one previous package is stored, so reverting is impossible2024-12-31
- Building C programs from source means manually resolving many dependencies and version conflicts, costing whole evenings2023-11-14
- Uninstalling an apt package is too complicated, requiring searching Stack Overflow each time2023-09-13
- Apt feels much slower than dnf for installing packages2023-08-17
- Dist-upgrades leave packages half-installed, making the system appear mysteriously broken2023-08-14
- No clear way to abort the Secure Boot reconfiguration prompt during install2023-06-25
- Search results ordering is unclear; latest version isn't shown first2023-04-05
- Mistyped package name silently installs a different package via regex fallback2022-12-23
- Serious warning looks like a normal prompt, so users confirm without reading it2022-11-15
- Couldn't figure out how to remove accidentally installed graphical packages, even with helper tools2022-08-03
- Poorly supported software is broken and hard to work with on Ubuntu2022-05-11
- Package installs scatter files and break dependencies until apt commands stop working2021-11-02
- After terminal resize, progress bar leaves stale lines and breaks copied text into fragments2021-10-13
- Does things behind the user's back, so breakage is hard to understand or fix2020-12-09
- Output is extremely verbose by default and the interface is poor, making it slow to use2020-11-16
- Cryptic lock file error blocks installs while background auto-update runs, with no explanation2020-08-31
- Packages fail to install or update because a library is stuck on an unavailable version2020-06-23
- Package installs fail with confusing dependency errors and unhelpful suggested fixes2019-11-12
- Package managers lack up-to-date software and a decent way to sync setups across machines2019-05-01
- Native Linux package managers like apt and yum are hard to use for reinstalling and backing up software lists2019-04-30
- Apt breaks and forces manual dpkg fixes after failed upgrades or installs2017-04-15
- Apt's user experience is worse than Homebrew's2016-09-21
- Debian apt repo documentation is disjointed and tools are hard to figure out2016-02-27
- Apt updates run painfully slow on devices with slower disks2015-12-27
- Commands feel obscure and unintuitive to the user2015-12-27
- Pinning apt repositories caused massive headaches for the commenter2015-05-11
- Confusing apt-get and apt-cache commands; syntax is annoying and inconsistent2015-05-10
- Finds apt infuriating compared to ports and portage2014-11-16
- Searching and installing packages needs separate apt-cache and apt-get commands, unlike yum2014-04-15
- Cannot force install past missing dependencies without removing packages, requiring repeated reinstalls2013-11-19
- Too many separate apt commands and tools make everyday package tasks painful2013-10-09
- Users must manually manage sources.list to add package repositories2012-03-17
- Dependency errors are inscrutable, requiring expert knowledge or outside docs to understand2011-11-22
- Installing apps pulls in dependencies and updates that can break the development environment2011-01-02
- Interrupting it with Ctrl-C can corrupt its package database2009-11-10