---
name: "deb-scrub-obsolete"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "lintian-brush"
version: "0.147"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/deb-scrub-obsolete"
---

# deb-scrub-obsolete(1)

scrub a Debian package of no longer necessary configuration

## NAME

deb-scrub-obsolete - scrub a Debian package of no longer necessary configuration

## SYNOPSIS

deb-scrub-obsolete \[-h\] \[--no-update-changelog\] \[--version\] \[--upgrade-release=RELEASE\]

## DESCRIPTION

Scrub a Debian source package from unnecessary versioned depends, conflicts and maintscripts.

Specifically, it make the following categories of changes:

- •

  obsolete maintscript entries for upgrades from versions older than that in $compat\_release

- •

  depends on packages that are essential since $compat\_release

- •

  build-depends on packages that are build-essential since $compat\_release

- •

  replacing dependencies on "transitional dummy packages" with the real thing (if satisfiable since $compat\_release)

- •

  conflicts with packages that are gone since before $compat\_release

- •

  version constraints in build-depends or depends that are met by the package in $compat\_release

### optional arguments:

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

  show this help message and exit

- **--no-update-changelog**

  Whether to update the changelog.

- **--version**

  show program's version number and exit

- **--upgrade-release=RELEASE**

  Don't remove any constraints that are necessary for upgrading from RELEASE or newer releases. This can either be a codename ("bookworm"), or an alias ("unstable", "old-old-stable"). For a full list options, see [**distro-info**(1)](/distro-info/1.md).

- **--compat-release=RELEASE**

  Don't remove any constraints that are necessary for building on RELEASE or newer releases. This can either be a codename ("bookworm"), or an alias ("unstable", "old-old-stable"). For a full list options, see [**distro-info**(1)](/distro-info/1.md).

- **--identity**

  Print the identity (name and e-mailaddress) that apply-multiarch-hints will use when committing changes, and exit.

- **--debug**

  Print debugging information

- **--keep-minimum-depends-versions**

  Keep minimum version dependencies, even when unnecessary

## ENVIRONMENT

- **DEB\_UPDATE\_CHANGELOG**

  Used to control whether the changelog should be updated, depending on whether it is set to "leave", "update" or "auto". The --update-changelog and --no-update-changelog arguments override this.

## SEE ALSO

[*lintian-brush.conf*(5)](/lintian-brush.conf/5.md) [*lintian-brush*(1)](/lintian-brush/1.md)

## AUTHORS

Jelmer Vernooij \<jelmer@debian.org\>