CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-006)System ManagementMedium

A technician manually downloaded a .deb package and installed it with 'dpkg -i package.deb', but the installation failed due to unmet dependencies. Which command should be run next to automatically resolve and install the missing dependencies?

  1. Aapt list --upgradable
  2. Bapt-cache search package
  3. Cdpkg --configure -a
  4. Dapt-get install -f
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D. apt-get install -f

'apt-get install -f' (fix-broken install) scans for and installs any missing dependencies required by packages that were partially installed via dpkg, completing the configuration. 'dpkg --configure -a' only finishes configuring already-unpacked packages, and the other two commands merely list or search packages without fixing dependencies.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Lists packages with available upgrades, unrelated to fixing dependencies.
  • B. Searches the package cache by keyword, does not install anything.
  • C. Reconfigures partially installed packages but does not fetch missing dependencies.

apt-get install -f

Command used to fix broken package dependencies, commonly needed after installing a .deb file manually with dpkg -i.

  • -f stands for 'fix-broken'
  • Downloads and installs missing dependency packages
  • Often paired with dpkg --configure -a for full recovery

Memory trick: apt -f = 'fix' the puzzle pieces dpkg left missing.

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