LPIC-1 Linux Installation and Package Management Practice Question
An administrator needs to downgrade a package from version 2.0 to version 1.9. Which apt-get command can be used to perform this action?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume a dedicated `downgrade` command exists (Option A) or confuse `upgrade`/`dist-upgrade` with the ability to specify a version, when in fact `apt-get install` is the universal command for installing, upgrading, or downgrading a package to a specific version.
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
✓
`apt-get install package=1.9`
The correct command is `apt-get install package=1.9` because in APT, the `install` command is used not only to install new packages but also to downgrade an existing package to a specific version by appending `=version` to the package name. This instructs APT to resolve dependencies and perform the downgrade, overriding the currently installed version.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
`apt-get downgrade package=1.9`
Why it's wrong here
apt-get has no downgrade subcommand; it would error as an unrecognised command. The verb is tempting because it names the exact task, and apt-get does support version pinning via package=version, but that pinning is passed to install, which handles both upgrades and downgrades.
- ✗
`apt-get upgrade package=1.9`
Why it's wrong here
The upgrade subcommand only moves packages to newer candidate versions, so it cannot install 1.9 over 2.0. It is tempting because upgrade is the everyday apt-get verb for version changes, and pinning syntax (package=version) is valid, but that syntax belongs with install, which permits downgrades.
- ✗
`apt-get dist-upgrade package=1.9`
Why it's wrong here
dist-upgrade resolves dependency changes across the whole system for release migration; it ignores the package=version argument and would not install 1.9. It is tempting because dist-upgrade handles complex dependency shifts, but downgrading one package to a specific version requires install with the pinned version.
- ✓
`apt-get install package=1.9`
Why this is correct
`apt-get install package=1.9` pins the exact version by appending `=1.9` to the package name, so APT resolves and installs 1.9 even though 2.0 is already present and newer. This satisfies the downgrade requirement directly, since APT permits installing an older version when the version is explicitly specified.
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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.