LPIC-1 Linux Installation and Package Management Practice Question
Which TWO commands are used to manage Debian packages? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse low-level package tools (dpkg, rpm) with high-level ones (apt-get, yum, zypper), or incorrectly associate a tool with the wrong distribution family, especially when multiple package managers are listed.
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
apt-get is the primary command-line tool for handling Debian packages, handling dependency resolution and retrieval from repositories. dpkg is the low-level tool that directly installs, removes, and queries .deb package files without automatic dependency management. Both are essential for Debian-based package management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
zypper
Why it's wrong here
zypper manages RPM packages on SUSE distributions, using libzypp and RPM metadata. It resembles apt in offering dependency resolution and repositories, yet it cannot install .deb packages or query dpkg, so it fails on Debian systems.
- ✓
apt-get
Why this is correct
apt-get resolves dependencies and installs, upgrades or removes .deb packages from configured repositories, satisfying the stem's requirement for Debian package management. Unlike dpkg, which handles local archives without dependency resolution, apt-get retrieves dependencies automatically, making it a standard tool for managing Debian systems.
- ✓
dpkg
Why this is correct
The dpkg utility directly installs, removes and queries individual .deb packages on Debian systems, satisfying the stem's requirement for native Debian package management. It operates on the local package database without resolving dependencies, distinguishing it from higher-level tools such as APT, which fetch packages from repositories and handle dependency resolution automatically.
- ✗
yum
Why it's wrong here
yum manages RPM packages on Red Hat-derived distributions, resolving dependencies against RPM metadata. It is tempting because it is a full package manager with the same install/remove workflow, but it cannot read Debian's .deb archives or dpkg database.
- ✗
rpm
Why it's wrong here
rpm operates on individual RPM packages and the RPM database, not Debian's dpkg format. It is tempting as a low-level package tool, but it cannot resolve dependencies or read .deb archives, which Debian package management requires.
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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.