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nightreaver/python-ssh-mcp/ssh-apt-list
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version: "1.0.0" description: List APT packages on a remote host, filtered by mode and optional pattern

ssh_apt_list

Tier: read-only | Group: pkg | Tags: {safe, read, group:pkg}

Runs apt list <flag> [-- <pattern>] and returns parsed package rows. Use mode="installed" to answer "is X installed?", mode="upgradable" for the pending-upgrade survey, or mode="all" to see every package known to apt's caches (large -- always pair with a pattern).

Inputs

nametyperequireddefaultnotes
hoststryes--Alias from hosts.toml or SSH_HOSTS_ALLOWLIST
mode`"installed" \"upgradable" \"all"`yes--Required; maps to apt's --installed / --upgradable / no flag
patternstrnoNoneGlob filter, e.g. nginx*. Argv-validated, no shell metachars

Returns

json
{
  "host": "web01",
  "mode": "installed",
  "packages": [
    {
      "name": "nginx",
      "version": "1.18.0-6ubuntu14.4",
      "architecture": "amd64",
      "state": "installed"
    }
  ],
  "total": 1,
  "truncated": false,
  "output_warnings": []
}

state is the bracketed token apt prints after the version (e.g. "installed", "installed,automatic", "upgradable"). Empty string when the bracket is absent.

output_warnings (INC-057) is non-empty when the sanitizer flagged suspicious patterns in the apt output -- ANSI escapes, NUL bytes, bidi / zero-width characters, fake LLM-turn markers. Package metadata isn't a common injection vector, but name / version / state values still pass through; treat them with extra suspicion when this list is non-empty.

Examples

python
# Is nginx installed?
ssh_apt_list(host="web01", mode="installed", pattern="nginx")
# What needs upgrading?
ssh_apt_list(host="web01", mode="upgradable")
# Find every libssl* available in the caches
ssh_apt_list(host="web01", mode="all", pattern="libssl*")

When to call it

  • Quick "is X installed?" / "what version is on this box?" answers.
  • Upgrade-pending survey before deciding whether a host needs maintenance.
  • Discovery: scoping which versions of a family (e.g. python3*) the host has.

When NOT to call it

  • Searching by description (e.g. "give me all backup-related tools") --

use ssh_apt_search, which searches descriptions too.

  • Inspecting one specific package in depth (deps, repos, candidate

version) -- use ssh_apt_show for the merged view.

  • Mutations (install / upgrade / remove) -- use ssh_sudo_exec apt-get ...

with ALLOW_SUDO=true + ALLOW_DANGEROUS_TOOLS=true.

Common failures

  • PlatformNotSupported: the host has no apt (non-Debian distro, or

Windows). Probed via command -v apt before the actual call.

  • truncated=true: apt list --installed on a desktop can run to ~10k

rows; output capped at SSH_STDOUT_CAP_BYTES (default 1 MiB). Narrow with a pattern.

  • Empty packages list with total=0: no rows matched the filter.

For mode="upgradable" that is good news (nothing pending).

Related

  • ssh_apt_search -- search package descriptions, not just names
  • ssh_apt_show -- combined show + policy for one package
  • ssh_systemctl_* -- service-level introspection once you've confirmed

the package is installed

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