APT Tracker Wrapper

A simple wrapper for apt that tracks only applications explicitly installed by the user. It avoids dependency noise and keeps a clean, readable list of installed tools.

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Overview

This utility replaces the default apt command (via /usr/local/bin/apt) and records only the package names provided by the user during installation. Automatically installed dependencies are ignored.

The result is a clear and minimal list of user-installed applications.

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Features

• Tracks only user-installed applications

• Ignores dependencies installed by APT

• Removes entries when applications are uninstalled

• Displays a clean table with:

  • Package name
  • Version
  • Installation time
  • User

• Uses the original /usr/bin/apt for all operations

• Lightweight and predictable behavior

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Files Included

apt-wrapper.sh     Main wrapper script
install.sh         Installation script
uninstall.sh       Removal script

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Installation

Run the provided installation script:

sudo bash install.sh

This will:

• Place the wrapper in /usr/local/bin/apt
• Ensure it overrides the default apt command safely

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Uninstall

Run the uninstall script:

sudo bash uninstall.sh

After uninstalling, refresh the shell:

hash -r

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Usage

Install applications

sudo apt install nmap curl

Remove applications

sudo apt remove curl

View tracked applications

apt history

Help

apt history help

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Example Output

PACKAGE                   VERSION              INSTALLED ON        USER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
nmap                      7.94-1               2026-03-26 16:10:12 kali
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total apps: 1

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How It Works

• Intercepts install, remove, and purge commands

• Extracts only user-provided package names

• Stores records in:

  /var/lib/apt-tracker/apps.csv
  

• Updates the list only when commands complete successfully

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Limitations

• Tracks only CLI usage of apt install

• Does not track:

  • Dependencies
  • GUI-based installations
  • Manual .deb installs

• Meta-packages are stored as a single entry

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File Locations

/usr/local/bin/apt                Wrapper script
/usr/bin/apt                      Original apt binary
/var/lib/apt-tracker/apps.csv     Stored application data

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Safety

• Does not modify the original APT binary
• Falls back to system APT for unsupported commands
• Uses file locking to prevent concurrent write issues

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License

MIT License