---
name: "chdist"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "devscripts"
version: "2.25.15+deb13u1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/chdist"
---

# chdist(1)

script to easily play with several distributions

## NAME

chdist - script to easily play with several distributions

## SYNOPSIS

**chdist** \[*options*\] \[*command*\] \[*command parameters*\]

**chdist** \[*options*\] *DIST* *command* \[*command parameters*\]

The second syntax is accepted when the *DIST* does not match one of the known commands from the list below (see "COMMANDS"). Then the *command* may be any program available on the system and anything based on apt will be using the *DIST* apt data.

## DESCRIPTION

**chdist** is a rewrite of what used to be known as 'MultiDistroTools' (or mdt). Its use is to create 'APT trees' for several distributions, making it easy to query the status of packages in other distribution without using chroots, for instance.

## OPTIONS

- **-h**, **--help**

  Provide a usage message.

- **-d**, **--data-dir** *DIR*

  Choose data directory (default: *~/.chdist/*).

- **-a**, **--arch** *ARCH*

  Choose architecture (default: \`**dpkg --print-architecture**\`).

- **--version**

  Display version information.

## COMMANDS

- **create** *DIST* \[*URL* *RELEASE* *SECTIONS*\]

  Prepare a new tree named *DIST*

- **apt** *DIST* \<**update**\|**source**\|**show**\|**showsrc**\|...\>

  Run **apt** inside *DIST*

- **apt-get** *DIST* \<**update**\|**source**\|...\>

  Run **apt-get** inside *DIST*

- **apt-cache** *DIST* \<**show**\|**showsrc**\|...\>

  Run **apt-cache** inside *DIST*

- **apt-file** *DIST* \<**update**\|**search**\|...\>

  Run **apt-file** inside *DIST*

- **apt-rdepends** *DIST* \[...\]

  Run **apt-rdepends** inside *DIST*

- **build-rdeps** *DIST* \[...\]

  Run **build-rdeps** inside *DIST*. When the *DIST* origin and suite/codename differ from the system origin and suite/codename then they need to be set using **build-rdeps** options.

- **aptitude** *DIST* \[...\]

  Run **aptitude** inside *DIST*

- **src2bin** *DIST SRCPKG*

  List binary packages for *SRCPKG* in *DIST*

- **bin2src** *DIST BINPKG*

  List source package for *BINPKG* in *DIST*

- **compare-packages** *DIST1 DIST2* \[*DIST3*, ...\]

  - **compare-bin-packages** *DIST1 DIST2* \[*DIST3*, ...\]

  List versions of packages in several *DIST*ributions

- **compare-versions** *DIST1 DIST2*

  - **compare-bin-versions** *DIST1 DIST2*

  Same as **compare-packages**/**compare-bin-packages**, but also runs **dpkg --compare-versions** and display where the package is newer.

- **compare-src-bin-packages** *DIST*

  Compare sources and binaries for *DIST*

- **compare-src-bin-versions** *DIST*

  Same as **compare-src-bin-packages**, but also run **dpkg --compare-versions** and display where the package is newer

- **grep-dctrl-packages** *DIST* \[...\]

  Run **grep-dctrl** on *\*\_Packages* inside *DIST*

- **grep-dctrl-sources** *DIST* \[...\]

  Run **grep-dctrl** on *\*\_Sources* inside *DIST*

- **list**

  List available *DIST*s

## COPYRIGHT

This program is copyright 2007 by Lucas Nussbaum and Luk Claes. This program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.

It is licensed under the terms of the GPL, either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.