Installing apt to Ubuntu

Question

I accidentially deleted apt on my Ubuntu. How can I reinstall it somehow or do I need to reinstall the whole system?

I tried

sudo apt install apt
[sudo] password for jaakko: 
sudo: apt: command not found
(base) jaakko@jaakko-GL553VW:~/Downloads$ 

Solution 1

You can install deb packages using the dpkg command. You can go onto an Ubuntu mirror for the version you use, then download the apt package and dependencies (you can check with dpkg-deb -I apt[...].deb), then install it using dpkg -i apt[...].deb.

Solution 2

Everything you probably need is here.

Try:

wget http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/a/apt/apt_1.9.3_amd64.deb
dpkg -i apt_1.9.3_amd64.deb

• If the version isn't right, check this for whichever versions are available when you found this answer.
• If wget isn't found, then just download apt*.deb from the same link.
• If it fails to find dependencies, then download the dependencies in the same manner as apt, then try again.

---

FYI, at time of writing I see these dependencies (on debian):

$ apt show apt
Version: 1.8.2
Depends: 
 adduser,
 gpgv | gpgv2 | gpgv1,
 debian-archive-keyring,
 libapt-pkg5.0 (>= 1.7.0~alpha3~),
 ibc6 (>= 2.15),
 libgcc1 (>= 1:3.0),
 libgnutls30 (>= 3.6.6),
 libseccomp2 (>= 1.0.1),
 libstdc++6 (>= 5.2)

Comments

[Jeff Schaller]

You had to know that you weren't going to get very far using apt install apt when apt was gone?

[41754]

You can build it from sources. You probably want to boot the corresponding Ubuntu as a live CD and copy the program back in its proper place in your persistent storage drive.

[guest]

Yes. I know. I think I need some lower level tool to download and install apt.

[41754]

Well you maybe can download an official build of apt the program using wget if you have it installed... But I don't know which's the URL you'd want. You probably have some live USB drive around though, maybe that's easier.

[Jeff Schaller]

Relating unix.stackexchange.com/q/519679/117549 with a pointer to askubuntu.com/questions/1122065/…

[smw]

See also Where Can I Download the Apt Package if apt-get is Missing?