LPIC-1 Linux Installation and Package Management Practice Question
A system administrator needs to install a local Debian package file named 'myapp.deb'. Which command should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse `dpkg` with `apt-get` or `aptitude`, assuming that any package manager can install a local file, but only `dpkg` directly handles `.deb` files without requiring a repository lookup.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
dpkg -i myapp.deb
The correct command to install a local Debian package file is `dpkg -i myapp.deb`. The `dpkg` tool is the low-level package manager for Debian-based systems that directly handles `.deb` files, and the `-i` flag triggers installation. Unlike `apt-get` or `aptitude`, `dpkg` does not resolve dependencies automatically, but it is the proper tool for installing a standalone `.deb` file from disk.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
rpm -ivh myapp.deb
Why it's wrong here
rpm is the Red Hat package manager and cannot read Debian's ar-based .deb format; it errors on the archive. dpkg -i is the Debian-native tool for local packages. rpm -ivh is correct on RHEL-family systems installing .rpm files, not .deb files.
- ✗
aptitude install myapp.deb
Why it's wrong here
aptitude install also queries repositories by package name, so passing 'myapp.deb' yields no matching package and the install aborts. Local .deb files are installed with dpkg -i. aptitude suits dependency-resolved installs from repositories, not standalone archives.
- ✓
dpkg -i myapp.deb
Why this is correct
dpkg is Debian's low-level package manager, and the -i flag installs a local .deb archive directly from the filesystem. It satisfies the requirement to install the specified local file without fetching from a repository, unlike apt, which resolves dependencies remotely.
- ✗
apt-get install myapp.deb
Why it's wrong here
apt-get install resolves package names from configured repositories; given a filename it treats 'myapp.deb' as a package name and fails to locate it. dpkg -i installs a local .deb directly. apt-get is correct when fetching packages from repositories, not for local files.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LPIC-1 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the LPIC-1 exam.