How to Install Nala on Debian Linux

Nala is a front-end for the APT package manager that transforms the terminal package management experience on Debian. Instead of scrolling through walls of text during installations, Nala displays clear, color-coded output showing exactly which packages will be installed, removed, or upgraded. Additionally, the parallel download feature pulls multiple packages simultaneously from the fastest available mirrors, which significantly reduces installation time for large package sets. Furthermore, the built-in history system lets you undo or redo any transaction, making it straightforward to recover from problematic updates.

This guide walks you through installing Nala from Debian’s default repositories (Debian 12 and 13) and from the Volian third-party repository (required for Debian 11). By the end, you will know how to configure optimized mirrors, manage package transactions with full undo capability, and use Nala as a drop-in replacement for your daily APT commands.

Choose Your Installation Method

Nala’s availability depends on your Debian version, so choose the appropriate method:

Method	Channel	Debian Version	Updates	Best For
Default Repositories	Debian Repos	Debian 12, 13	Automatic via apt upgrade	Most users on current Debian releases
Volian Repository	Volian Nala	Debian 11, 12, 13	Automatic via apt upgrade	Debian 11 users or those wanting newest versions

For Debian 12 and 13 users, the default repository method is recommended because Nala is included in the official Debian repositories and receives updates through standard system maintenance. In contrast, Debian 11 users must use the Volian repository since Nala is not available in Bullseye’s default repositories.

If you are still running Debian 11, consider upgrading to Debian 12 to access Nala directly from official repositories along with newer packages and extended security support.

Update Debian Before Installation

First, before installing any new software, update your package lists and upgrade existing packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Install Nala from Default Repositories (Debian 12/13)

Debian 12 (Bookworm) and Debian 13 (Trixie) include Nala in their official repositories, which makes installation straightforward.

Install Nala

Next, install Nala using APT:

sudo apt install nala

Verify Installation

Then, confirm Nala installed correctly by checking its version:

nala --version

Expected output:

nala 0.x.x

Debian 12 (Bookworm) provides Nala 0.12.2 while Debian 13 (Trixie) includes Nala 0.16.0. Both versions support all the core features covered in this guide, so your output will vary depending on your Debian release.

Install Nala via Volian Repository (All Versions)

The Volian project maintains a third-party repository that provides the latest Nala version along with all required dependencies. Debian 11 (Bullseye) users must use this method since Nala is not available in Bullseye’s default repositories. Debian 12 and 13 users can also use this method to get newer Nala versions before they reach the official Debian repositories.

Install Repository Prerequisites

First, install the packages needed to download files over HTTPS:

sudo apt install wget ca-certificates -y

Add Volian Repository

The Volian project provides helper packages that automatically configure the repository and GPG signing key using the modern DEB822 format. As a result, this approach keeps the signing key scoped to only the Volian repository rather than trusting it system-wide.

Next, download and install the repository configuration packages:

wget -P /tmp https://deb.volian.org/volian/pool/main/v/volian-archive/volian-archive-nala_0.3.1_all.deb
wget -P /tmp https://deb.volian.org/volian/pool/main/v/volian-archive/volian-archive-keyring_0.3.1_all.deb
sudo apt install /tmp/volian-archive-nala_0.3.1_all.deb /tmp/volian-archive-keyring_0.3.1_all.deb

Specifically, these packages create two files on your system:

• /etc/apt/sources.list.d/volian-archive-nala-unstable.sources: Repository configuration in DEB822 format
• /usr/share/keyrings/volian-archive-scar-unstable.gpg: GPG signing key for package verification

Afterward, you can verify the repository was configured correctly:

cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/volian-archive-nala-unstable.sources

Expected output:

Types: deb deb-src
URIs: https://deb.volian.org/volian/
Suites: nala
Components: main
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/volian-archive-scar-unstable.gpg

The Signed-By field points to a scoped keyring file, which is the recommended security practice for third-party repositories. This ensures the Volian GPG key can only sign packages from the Volian repository, not packages from other sources.

Finally, update the package lists to include the new repository:

sudo apt update

Verify the Volian repository is active and provides Nala:

apt-cache policy nala

Expected output showing Nala available from the Volian repository:

nala:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 0.x.x
  Version table:
     0.x.x 990
        100 https://deb.volian.org/volian nala/main amd64 Packages

The version numbers shown are placeholders. At the time of writing, the Volian repository provides Nala 0.16.0. The priority value (990/100) indicates APT will prefer this source for the Nala package.

Install Nala from Volian Repository

Notably, the installation command differs slightly depending on your Debian version due to Python dependency requirements.

Debian 12 and 13: Install Nala using the standard command:

sudo apt install nala

Debian 11: Use the -t nala flag to pull newer Python dependencies from the Volian repository:

sudo apt install -t nala nala

The -t nala flag tells APT to prefer packages from the Volian “nala” suite when resolving dependencies. Debian 11’s default repositories contain older versions of Python packages like python3-httpx that are incompatible with Nala. The flag ensures APT pulls the newer versions from Volian instead, avoiding dependency conflicts.

Verify Volian Installation

Then, confirm Nala installed correctly:

nala --version

Expected output:

nala 0.x.x

The Volian repository typically provides the latest stable Nala release (currently 0.16.0 at time of writing). Your version may differ if newer releases have been published.

Essential Nala Commands

Nala uses the same command structure as APT, so existing muscle memory transfers directly. However, the key difference is the output: Nala displays progress bars, color-coded package actions, and cleaner formatting that makes it easier to understand what changes are happening to your system.

Update Package Lists

Synchronize package information from your configured repositories:

sudo nala update

Upgrade Installed Packages

Upgrade all packages with available updates:

sudo nala upgrade

As a result, Nala shows a clear summary of packages to be upgraded, installed, or removed before prompting for confirmation.

Install Packages

Install new packages with parallel downloads:

sudo nala install <package-name>

Replace <package-name> with the package you want to install.

Remove Packages

Uninstall a package while keeping its configuration files (useful if you plan to reinstall later):

sudo nala remove <package-name>

Alternatively, to remove both the package and its configuration files for a clean uninstall, use purge:

sudo nala purge <package-name>

Afterward, clean up orphaned dependencies that are no longer needed:

sudo nala autoremove

Search for Packages

Find packages matching a keyword:

nala search <keyword>

View Package Information

Display detailed information about a package:

nala show <package-name>

Optimize Mirror Selection with Fetch

One of Nala’s most useful features is automatic mirror optimization. Rather than manually editing /etc/apt/sources.list, Nala tests available Debian mirrors and ranks them by speed:

sudo nala fetch

Nala presents an interactive list showing latency to each mirror. Simply use the number keys to select mirrors (typically 3-4 fast mirrors provide good redundancy), then press Enter to confirm. Subsequently, Nala writes your selection to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nala-sources.list, which takes priority over the default sources.

Running nala fetch is optional but recommended after installation. Faster mirrors reduce download times significantly when installing large packages or performing system upgrades.

View and Manage Transaction History

List all recorded package transactions:

nala history

For example, to undo a specific transaction, use its ID number:

sudo nala history undo <ID>

Similarly, to redo a previously undone transaction:

sudo nala history redo <ID>

The history feature is particularly valuable after system upgrades. If an update breaks something, you can quickly identify which transaction caused the issue and roll it back while you investigate.

Troubleshooting

Dependency Conflicts on Debian 11

If you see an error like this when installing on Debian 11:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 nala : Depends: python3-httpx (>= 0.17.0) but 0.16.1-1 is to be installed

This indicates APT is trying to use Debian 11’s older Python packages instead of the Volian repository versions. Therefore, ensure you use the -t nala flag:

sudo apt install -t nala nala

Next, verify the Volian repository is configured correctly:

apt-cache policy nala

Expected output showing the Volian repository as a source:

nala:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 0.x.x
  Version table:
     0.x.x 990
        100 https://deb.volian.org/volian nala/main amd64 Packages

The version numbers are placeholders. Verify that the Volian URL appears in the output, confirming the repository is active and providing Nala packages.

Mirror Fetch Fails or Times Out

If nala fetch hangs or fails to test mirrors:

ERROR: Unable to connect to any mirrors

To troubleshoot, first verify basic network connectivity:

ping -c 3 deb.debian.org

If the network is functional, then the issue may be firewall rules blocking Nala’s mirror tests. In that case, you can skip the fetch step entirely and use Nala with your existing /etc/apt/sources.list mirrors. Note that the fetch feature is entirely optional.

Package Not Found in Debian 11

If apt install nala returns “package not found” on Debian 11:

E: Unable to locate package nala

As mentioned earlier, Nala is not available in Debian 11’s default repositories. Instead, follow the Volian Repository installation method above to add the third-party repository containing Nala.

Remove Nala

If you no longer need Nala, follow these steps to remove it cleanly.

Remove Nala Package

First, uninstall Nala and remove orphaned dependencies:

sudo apt remove nala
sudo apt autoremove

Remove Volian Repository (If Installed)

If you installed Nala via the Volian repository, purge the repository configuration packages to remove them completely along with the sources file and GPG key:

sudo apt purge volian-archive-nala volian-archive-keyring
sudo apt autoremove

Using purge instead of remove ensures the repository configuration file at /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ is also deleted. The standard remove command would leave this file behind.

Then, verify the repository files were removed:

ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/volian* 2>/dev/null || echo "Volian repository removed"
ls /usr/share/keyrings/volian* 2>/dev/null || echo "Volian keyring removed"

Finally, refresh the package lists and verify the Volian source is no longer present:

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy nala

Expected output confirming removal (Debian 11):

N: Unable to locate package nala

On Debian 12/13, the output will show the default repository version as available but not installed:

nala:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 0.x.x
  Version table:
     0.x.x 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian [your-release]/main amd64 Packages

The version and release codename are placeholders. Debian 12 shows bookworm with version 0.12.2, while Debian 13 shows trixie with version 0.16.0.

Remove Nala Configuration

Additionally, Nala stores its history and mirror configuration in /var/lib/nala/. To remove this data:

Warning: The following command permanently deletes Nala’s transaction history and custom mirror configuration. This cannot be undone.

sudo rm -rf /var/lib/nala/

Conclusion

You now have Nala installed and configured as a drop-in replacement for APT commands on Debian. The parallel download feature and optimized mirror selection through nala fetch noticeably speed up large package operations, while the transaction history with nala history undo provides a safety net for rolling back problematic updates.

To continue improving your Debian system, consider combining Nala with unattended upgrades for automatic security patches. Additionally, you can explore Flatpak on Debian for sandboxed application installation alongside your system packages. For more advanced Nala usage, run nala --help or visit the official Nala documentation.