what does 'y' stand for in apt-get install? [duplicate]

Solution 1:

It stands for yes, so will answer yes to any questions that the apt-get command will generate.

You can find out the options of commands by viewing their manual page with the man command. In the output of man apt-get you can find the following section:

-y, --yes, --assume-yes

       Automatic yes to prompts; assume "yes" as answer to all prompts and
       run non-interactively. If an undesirable situation, such as
       changing a held package, trying to install a unauthenticated
       package or removing an essential package occurs then apt-get will
       abort. Configuration Item: APT::Get::Assume-Yes.