aptitude-common software package provides architecture independent files for the aptitude package manager, you can install in your Ubuntu 16.10 (Yakkety Yak) by running the commands given below on the terminal,
$ sudo apt-get update $ sudo apt-get install aptitude-common
aptitude-common is installed in your system.
Make ensure the aptitude-common package were installed using the commands given below,
$ sudo dpkg-query -l | grep aptitude-common *
You will get with aptitude-common package name, version, architecture and description in a table
| Distro | Ubuntu 16 10 yakkety yak |
| Section | Administration Utilities |
| Package | aptitude-common |
| Version | 0.7.4-2ubuntu2 |
| Description | architecture independent files for the aptitude package manager |
| Sub Section | admin |