BASH Command to Read Upgradable Debian Package Version Notes?

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Instead of the usual apt update apt upgrade process, I decided I wanted maybe just to try upgrading specific packages in a Debian installation.

I can list the upgradable packages with apt list --upgradable and I can upgrade a single package with apt --only-upgrade install app-name.

I can examine version and candidate names with apt-cache policy app-name, but when I try apt-listchanges app-name, I’m told that app-name isn’t a .deb file.

Is it really the case that there’s no straightforward command-line way of finding out about the updates within a version?

It seems to me like there’s a bit missing to the system.

Any thoughts?

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There is a few ways. For a single package, this is the most direct:

apt changelog package-name

That fetches and displays the Debian changelog for the candidate version, not the installed one.

If you want both installed vs candidate context:

apt-cache policy package-name

then

apt changelog package-name

If you want the changelog for the currently installed version only:

apt changelog package-name=installed-version

For deeper inspection, including upstream vs Debian packaging changes:

apt source package-name

then read debian/changelog

apt-listchanges is designed to be driven by apt upgrade or a .deb file, not by a package name alone. It hooks into the upgrade transaction.

So the system is not missing the feature. It is just split across tools, and apt changelog is the one most people overlook.

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Cool, thanks Hayden!

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I was getting a bit fed up of big apps like Chromium, VS Code and Docker constantly wanting updates, when I have data limits. I barely even use Docker - it’s just there for practice.

These updates can run me up against my data limit of 20GB/month (~650MB/day). GiffGaff is giving me double data next month for 6 months, but I might call back on this topic after then ;o)

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