Using the vrms command (with examples)

List non-free and contrib packages (and their description):

vrms

Motivation: The motivation for using this command is to get a comprehensive list of all the non-free and contrib packages installed on a Debian-based operating system. This can be useful for users who want to ensure that their system only contains free software and avoid using proprietary software.

Explanation: The vrms command is used to report non-free packages installed on Debian-based operating systems. When executed without any arguments, it lists all the non-free and contrib packages installed on the system. Non-free packages are software that doesn’t comply with the Debian Free Software Guidelines, while contrib packages are software that depends on non-free software.

Example Output:

The following non-free packages are installed:
        rar   Archiver for .rar files
        steam Package installer for Steam
        ttf-mscorefonts-installer Installer for Microsoft TrueType core fonts
        unrar Unarchiver for .rar files (non-free version)
        unrar-free  Unarchiver for .rar files (free version)
        virtualbox-6.0  Oracle VM VirtualBox
        wine64  Windows API implementation - 64-bit binary loader
        wine64-preloader  Windows API implementation - binary loader (64-bit preloader)
        xfonts-intl-chinese  International fonts for X - Chinese fonts
        xfonts-intl-chinese-big  International fonts for X - Chinese fonts (big)
5 non-free packages, 0.3% of 1803 installed packages.
3 contrib packages, 0.2% of 1803 installed packages.

Only output the package names:

vrms --sparse

Motivation: The motivation for using this command is to obtain a more concise output that only includes the package names. This can be useful if you only want to see a simple list of the non-free and contrib packages without their descriptions.

Explanation: By providing the --sparse argument to the vrms command, it will only output the package names of the non-free and contrib packages installed on the system. This can make it easier to process the list programmatically or simply to have a more condensed output.

Example Output:

The following non-free packages are installed:
        rar
        steam
        ttf-mscorefonts-installer
        unrar
        unrar-free
        virtualbox-6.0
        wine64
        wine64-preloader
        xfonts-intl-chinese
        xfonts-intl-chinese-big
        
5 non-free packages, 0.3% of 1803 installed packages.
3 contrib packages, 0.2% of 1803 installed packages.