How to Save Installed Packages

Why Save Installed Packages?

Backing up a list of installed packages helps you quickly restore your system after a fresh OS install or migrate your setup to another machine.

Debian/Ubuntu (APT)

Save list of installed packages

dpkg --get-selections > installed-packages.list

Restore packages

sudo dpkg --set-selections < installed-packages.list
sudo apt-get dselect-upgrade

Red Hat / CentOS / Fedora (YUM/DNF)

Save list (YUM)

yum list installed > installed-packages.txt

Save list (DNF)

dnf list installed > installed-packages.txt

Reinstall from list (manual method)

Extract package names and reinstall:

awk '{print $1}' installed-packages.txt | xargs sudo dnf install -y

Python (pip)

Save Python packages

pip freeze > requirements.txt

Restore Python packages

pip install -r requirements.txt

Notes

• Always verify commands before running them on your system.
• Some packages may require additional repositories or manual installation.
• Consider backing up configuration files separately.