A tool for querying the apt database for available versions of packages, as JSON lines. It's primary use is for feeding into other tools (e.g. Paracrine)
For example: apt-query linux-image-* to get all the kernel packages returns
{"name":"linux-image-4.19.0-9-amd64","arch":"amd64","versions":["4.19.118-2+deb10u1"],"installed_version":null}
{"name":"linux-image-5.10.0-2-amd64","arch":"amd64","versions":["5.10.9-1"],"installed_version":null}
{"name":"linux-image-5.7.0-1-amd64","arch":"amd64","versions":["5.7.6-1"],"installed_version":null}
{"name":"linux-image-5.7.0-2-amd64","arch":"amd64","versions":["5.7.10-1"],"installed_version":null}
{"name":"linux-image-5.7.0-3-amd64","arch":"amd64","versions":["5.7.17-1"],"installed_version":null}
{"name":"linux-image-6.1.0-21-amd64","arch":"amd64","versions":["6.1.90-1"],"installed_version":"6.1.90-1"}
{"name":"linux-image-6.1.0-25-amd64","arch":"amd64","versions":["6.1.106-3"],"installed_version":"6.1.106-3"}
{"name":"linux-image-6.1.0-42-amd64","arch":"amd64","versions":["6.1.159-1"],"installed_version":null}
...Note the patterns accepted are glob matches as per fast-glob syntax
Similar tools include:
apt cache- which isn't exactly what you'd call "easily parseable" because of fun like the multi-line support.apt-show-versions- which doesn't tell you versions of not installed packages
We don't currently distribute binary images sadly, due to a lack of static build support for libapt-pkg, but if anyone would like to have a go at that, I'd be very interested!
