diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Base.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Base.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff4105a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from ...Cmd import Cmd
+from ..BackendCmd import BackendCmd
+
+class Base(BackendCmd):
+
+    def __init__(self, parent: Cmd):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+
+    async def apt_get(self, *args):
+        cmd = ['/usr/bin/apt-get']
+        mod_env = None
+        if not self.interactive:
+            cmd.extend(['-yq'])
+            mod_env = { 'DEBIAN_FRONTEND': 'noninteractive' }
+        cmd.extend(args)
+        return await self._sudo(cmd, mod_env=mod_env)
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Dup.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Dup.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ccadd1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Dup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from argparse import Namespace
+
+from ...Cmd import Cmd
+from .Base import Base
+
+class Dup(Base):
+
+    def __init__(self, parent: Cmd):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+
+    async def run(self, args: Namespace):
+        raise NotImplementedError('distro dup is not yet implemented for Debian-like distributions')
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Install.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Install.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..17343fb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Install.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from argparse import Namespace
+
+from ...Cmd import Cmd
+from .Base import Base
+
+class Install(Base):
+
+    def __init__(self, parent: Cmd):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+
+    async def run(self, args: Namespace):
+        return await self.apt_get('install', *args.packages)
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Makefile b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d8d0e64b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+TOPDIR = ../../../../../../../..
+
+include $(TOPDIR)/make/proj.mk
+include $(JWBDIR)/make/py-mod.mk
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Refresh.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Refresh.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..328908bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/backend/debian/Refresh.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from argparse import Namespace
+
+from ...Cmd import Cmd
+from .Base import Base
+
+class Refresh(Base):
+
+    def __init__(self, parent: Cmd):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+
+    async def run(self, args: Namespace):
+        return await self.apt_get('update')