Using curl, awk, xargs, and system package management, pkgs-lists provides lists of packages to make it easier to install those packages in bulk on Linux.
xargs -a <(curl -s <remote_url> | awk '! /^ *(#|$)/') -r -- sudo apt installImportant
Replace <remote_url> with the actual URL containing package names.
xargs -a <(awk '! /^ *(#|$)/' "<file_path>") -r -- sudo apt installImportant
Replace <file_path> with the path to your local package list file.
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curldownloads a file from a specified remote URL (when applicable). -
awkfilters the contents of the file to remove comments and blank lines. -
xargspasses each remaining line as a package name to the system package manager (aptin this case). -
Finally, the system package manager installs the packages passed to it by
xargs. If you're using a different package manager, such asdnf,zypper,pacman, etc., be sure to replaceapt installwith the appropriate command for your system.
This approach is particularly useful when dealing with a large number of packages or when repeating the installation process frequently. You can keep a central list of packages and easily install them across multiple systems by re-running the installation command. It's also beneficial when documenting dependencies and maintaining clarity about the intended software environment.
The approach of mass installing packages from a text file while preserving comments has several benefits.
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It offers flexibility in list sources (remote URLs or local files).
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It automates the installation process, saving you time and effort compared to manually installing each package individually.
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You can easily recreate the same package environment on different systems by running the command again.
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Comments in the file explain why specific packages are included, providing valuable documentation for your system setup.
This is free and unencumbered software released into the public domain. For more information, please refer to the LICENSE.