Start from a LiveUSB's "Try Ubuntu" environment, available on both Desktop and server.
This prevents haywiring your existing system. You can use the LiveUSB on any other convenient hardware to obtain the answers.
It lets apt start at a commonly-defined point (fresh install), preventing surprises later. "Drat, that wasn't on my list!"
For a mere list of packages
Code:
sudo apt update
apt install --simulate <package_name> // sudo is not required for simulate
To download the packages into /var/cache/apt/archives
Code:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --download-only <package_name>
Alternately, you can query the working system, though sometimes the answers may be incomplete or misleading, depending upon what else might be installed.
The list of packages and subsequently orphaned dependencies on your current system:
Code:
apt --simulate autoremove <package_name> // sudo is not required for simulate
Or you can ask apt for the first level of dependencies, and tediously iterate through each of those for subsequent levels.
Code:
apt depends <package_name> // sudo not required for dependency queries
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