Use these two commands to upgrade to the latest version of Ubuntu/other debian based distros.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Install LAMP Stack on Ubuntu/Debian using apt-get

sudo apt-get install openssh-server openssh-client apache2 libapache2-mod-php5 php5-cli php5-common php5-cgi  mysql-client mysql-common mysql-server php5-mysql php5-sqlite php5-gd phpmyadmin

If you want to download the deb files without installing them, use the following command. The downloaded file will be at /var/cache/apt/archives . Needless to say, this works only on Debian based distros – like Ubuntu, Kubuntu, etc

apt-get -d install PACKAGE-NAME

Show space used by deb packages installed sorted by size (ubuntu, debian and like)

dpkg-query -W -f='${Installed-Size;10}t${Package}n' | sort -k1,1n 

Update the package list – do this after you change the source in /etc/apt/sources.list .

apt-get update

I usually install these packages after I install Debian/KDE in a Laptop.

apt-get install ...
kdebase k3b gcc
vlc xine-ui mplayer xmms amarok
bzip2 ark
build-essentials binutils util-linux module-init-tools xfsprogs pcmcia-cs  procps oprofile   
kde-guidance klaptopdaemon laptop-mode-tools

Install / upgrade a deb package from cdrom/dvd

apt-cdrom install package_name

Cache all your Debain installation DVD/CDs

Put the first DVD in the drive and run this command

apt-cdrom add

Do this for all your DVDs. After its over run this command

apt-get upgrade

To install a pacakge this command can be used

apt-get install <Package Name>

[tags]debian,install,cd,dvd,cache,apt[/tags]