Which package management system is commonly used in Debian-based distributions?

APT, or Advanced Package Tool, is the package management system widely utilized in Debian-based distributions. It provides a powerful and flexible way to manage software packages, allowing users to easily install, upgrade, and remove software from their systems. APT works with .deb packages, which are the standard package format for Debian and its derivatives, such as Ubuntu.

APT includes various command-line tools like apt-get, apt-cache, and more recently, the apt command, which simplifies many tasks by combining functionalities of the other tools. It also handles package dependencies crucially, ensuring that all necessary components are installed alongside any given package.

In contrast, the other options are associated with different distributions or package formats. YUM (Yellowdog Updater Modified) is primarily used by RPM-based distributions such as CentOS and Fedora. RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) is another system that deals with .rpm packages, mainly found in Red Hat-based distributions. Pacman is the package manager for Arch Linux and its derivatives, employing its own packaging format. Thus, APT is specifically designed for Debian and is the best choice among the options provided in the context of Debian-based distributions.