dpkg is the package manager for Debian and thus used to install, build, remove and manage Debian packages. dpkg is a command line tool, a (more user-friendly?) alternative is aptitude. dpkg [<option>...] <command>
| long form | argument | ||
-i | --install | <.deb file>… | -R|--recursive <directory>… |
--unpack | <.deb file>>… | -R|--recursive <directory>… | |
-A | --record-avail | <.deb file name>… | -R|--recursive <directory>… |
--configure | <package>… | -a|--pending | |
--triggers-only | <package>… | -a|--pending | |
-r | --remove | <package>… | -a|--pending |
-P | --purge | <package>… | -a|--pending |
-V | --verify | [<package>…] | Verify the integrity of package(s). |
--get-selections | [<pattern>…] | Get list of selections to stdout. | |
--set-selections | Set package selections from stdin. | ||
--clear-selections | Deselect every non-essential package. | ||
--update-avail | [<Packages-file>] | Replace available packages info. | |
--merge-avail | [<Packages-file>] | Merge with info from file. | |
--clear-avail | Erase existing available info. | ||
--forget-old-unavail | Forget uninstalled unavailable pkgs. | ||
-s | --status | [<package>…] | Display package status details. Compare with dpkg-query -s. |
-p | --print-avail | [<package>…] | Display available version details. Similar to apt-cache show … |
-L | --listfiles | <package>… | List files 'owned' by package(s). |
-l | --list | [<pattern>…] | List packages concisely. Compare with dpkg-query -W … and apt list … |
-S | --search | <pattern>… | Find package(s) owning file(s). |
-C | --audit | [<package>…] | Check for broken package(s). |
--yet-to-unpack | Print packages selected for installation. | ||
--predep-package | Print pre-dependencies to unpack. | ||
--add-architecture | <arch> | Add <arch> to the list of architectures. | |
--remove-architecture | <arch> | Remove <arch> from the list of architectures. | |
--print-architecture | Print dpkg architecture. | ||
--print-foreign-architectures | Print allowed foreign architectures. | ||
--assert-<feature> | Assert support for the specified feature. <feature> is one of support-predepends, working-epoch, long-filenames, multi-conrep, multi-arch, versioned-provides, protected-field. | ||
--validate-<thing> | <string> | Validate a <thing>'s <string>. <thing> is one of pkgname, archname, trigname, version. | |
--compare-versions | <a> <op> <b> | Compare version numbers. <op> is one of lt, le, eq, ne, ge, gt (treat empty version as earlier than any version) / lt-nl, le-nl, ge-nl, gt-nl (treat empty version as later than any version) / <, <<, <=, =, >=, >>, > (only for compatibility with control file syntax). | |
--force-help | Show help on forcing. | ||
-Dh | --debug=help | Show help on debugging. | |
-? | --help | Show this help message. | |
--version | Show the version. |
--admindir=<directory> | Use <directory> instead of /var/lib/dpkg. | |
--root=<directory> | Install on a different root directory. | |
--instdir=<directory> | Change installation dir without changing admin dir. | |
--pre-invoke=<command> | Set a pre-invoke hook. | |
--post-invoke=<command> | Set a post-invoke hook. | |
--path-exclude=<pattern> | Do not install paths which match a shell pattern. | |
--path-include=<pattern> | Re-include a pattern after a previous exclusion. | |
-O | --selected-only | Skip packages not selected for install/upgrade. |
-E | --skip-same-version | Skip packages whose same version is installed. |
-G | --refuse-downgrade | Skip packages with earlier version than installed. |
-B | --auto-deconfigure | Install even if it would break some other package. |
--[no-]triggers | Skip or force consequential trigger processing. | |
--verify-format=<format> | Verify output format (supported: 'rpm'). | |
--no-pager | Disables the use of any pager. | |
--no-debsig | Do not try to verify package signatures. | |
--no-act|--dry-run|--simulate | Just say what we would do but don't do it. | |
-D | --debug=<octal> | Enable debugging (see -Dhelp or --debug=help). |
--status-fd <n> | Send status change updates to file descriptor <n>. | |
--status-logger=<command> | Send status change updates to <command>'s stdin. | |
--log=<filename> | Log status changes and actions to <filename> (See also /var/log/dpkg.log). | |
--ignore-depends=<package>[,…] | Ignore dependencies involving <package>. | |
--force-<thing>[,…] | Override problems (see --force-help). | |
--no-force-<thing>[,…] | Stop when problems encountered. | |
--refuse-<thing>[,…] | Ditto. | |
--abort-after <n> | Abort after encountering <n> errors. | |
--robot | Use machine-readable output on some commands. |
$ dpkg -I ./apt-file_3.3_all.deb
new Debian package, version 2.0.
size 39104 bytes: control archive=1292 bytes.
36 bytes, 1 lines conffiles
530 bytes, 12 lines control
812 bytes, 11 lines md5sums
367 bytes, 18 lines * postinst #!/bin/sh
176 bytes, 10 lines * postrm #!/bin/sh
Package: apt-file
Version: 3.3
Architecture: all
Maintainer: APT Development Team <deity@lists.debian.org>
Installed-Size: 89
Depends: perl:any, apt, libapt-pkg-perl, libregexp-assemble-perl
Section: admin
Priority: optional
Description: search for files within Debian packages (command-line interface)
apt-file is a command line tool for searching files contained in packages
for the APT packaging system. You can search in which package a file is
included or list the contents of a package without installing or fetching it.
-c $ dpkg -c ./apt-file_3.3_all.deb drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./ drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./etc/ drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./etc/apt/ drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./etc/apt/apt.conf.d/ -rw-r--r-- root/root 2164 2022-09-10 12:35 ./etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50apt-file.conf drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/ drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/bin/ -rwxr-xr-x root/root 31783 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/bin/apt-file drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/ drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/apt-file/ -rwxr-xr-x root/root 187 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/apt-file/is-cache-empty drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/bash-completion/ drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/bash-completion/completions/ -rw-r--r-- root/root 1344 2020-03-19 22:17 ./usr/share/bash-completion/completions/apt-file drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/doc/ drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/ -rw-r--r-- root/root 762 2022-09-10 12:29 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/NEWS.Debian.gz -rw-r--r-- root/root 3631 2020-03-19 22:17 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/README.md.gz -rw-r--r-- root/root 13744 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/changelog.gz -rw-r--r-- root/root 464 2014-06-19 17:20 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/copyright drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/examples/ -rw-r--r-- root/root 422 2020-03-19 22:17 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/examples/60disable-contents-fetching.conf -rwxr-xr-x root/root 1973 2020-03-19 22:17 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/examples/apt-file-2-update.sh -rw-r--r-- root/root 1381 2020-03-19 22:17 ./usr/share/doc/apt-file/examples/apt-file.conf drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/man/ drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/man/man1/ -rw-r--r-- root/root 7130 2022-09-10 12:35 ./usr/share/man/man1/apt-file.1.gz
-I dpkg -L lists files (and directories) that are «owned» by an (installed) package. $ dpkg -L openssh-client
apt-file or the Ubuntu package search can be used: $ sudo apt-get install apt-file $ sudo apt-file update $ apt-file find /usr/bin/scp $ apt-file find -x '\blspci$'
dpgk -L (and dpgk -S) queries is dlocate. dpkg -S lists the package that «owns» a file. /usr/bin/scp: $ dpkg -S /usr/bin/scp openssh-client: /usr/bin/scp
dpkg-architecture | set and determine the architecture for package building |
dpkg-buildflags | returns build flags to use during package build |
dpkg-buildpackage | build binary or source packages from sources |
dpkg-checkbuilddeps | check build dependencies and conflicts |
dpkg-deb | Debian package archive (.deb) manipulation tool. (dpkg can also be used as a frontend for dpkg-query) |
dpkg-distaddfile | add entries to debian/files |
dpkg-divert | override a package's version of a file |
dpkg-genbuildinfo | generate Debian .buildinfo files |
dpkg-genchanges | generate Debian .changes files |
dpkg-gencontrol | generate Debian control files |
dpkg-gensymbols | generate symbols files (shared library dependency information) |
dpkg-maintscript-helper | works around known dpkg limitations in maintainer scripts |
dpkg-mergechangelogs | 3-way merge of debian/changelog files |
dpkg-name | rename Debian packages to full package names |
dpkg-parsechangelog | parse Debian changelog files |
dpkg-query | a tool to query the dpkg database. (dpkg can also be used as a frontend for dpkg-query) |
dpkg-realpath | print the resolved pathname with DPKG_ROOT support |
dpkg-scanpackages | create Packages index files |
dpkg-scansources | create Sources index files |
dpkg-shlibdeps | generate shared library substvar dependencies |
dpkg-source | Debian source package (.dsc) manipulation tool |
dpkg-split | Debian package archive split/join tool |
dpkg-statoverride | override ownership and mode of files |
dpkg-trigger | a package trigger utility |
dpkg-vendor | queries information about distribution vendors |
/etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg is the configuration file for dpkg. /var/lib/dpkg/available contains a list of available packages. /var/lib/dpkg/status. dpkg is essential for the proper working of Debian, it is assigned the required package priority. /var/log/dpkg.log. .deb file format.