---
name: "dh_gencontrol"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "debhelper"
version: "13.24.2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dh_gencontrol"
---

# dh\_gencontrol(1)

generate and install control file

## NAME

dh\_gencontrol - generate and install control file

## SYNOPSIS

**dh\_gencontrol** \[*debhelper options*\] \[**--** *params*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**dh\_gencontrol** is a debhelper program that is responsible for generating control files, and installing them into the *DEBIAN* directory with the proper permissions.

This program is merely a wrapper around [**dpkg-gencontrol**(1)](/dpkg-gencontrol/1.md), which calls it once for each package being acted on (plus related dbgsym packages), and passes in some additional useful flags.

**Note** that if you use **dh\_gencontrol**, you must also use [**dh\_builddeb**(1)](/dh_builddeb/1.md) to build the packages.  Otherwise, your build may fail to build as **dh\_gencontrol** (via [**dpkg-gencontrol**(1)](/dpkg-gencontrol/1.md)) declares which packages are built.  As debhelper automatically generates dbgsym packages, it some times adds additional packages, which will be built by [**dh\_builddeb**(1)](/dh_builddeb/1.md).

## OPTIONS

- **--** *params*

  Pass *params* to [**dpkg-gencontrol**(1)](/dpkg-gencontrol/1.md).

- **-u***params*, **--dpkg-gencontrol-params=***params*

  This is another way to pass *params* to [**dpkg-gencontrol**(1)](/dpkg-gencontrol/1.md). It is deprecated; use **--** instead.

## SEE ALSO

[**debhelper**(7)](/debhelper/7.md)

This program is a part of debhelper.

## AUTHOR

Joey Hess \<joeyh@debian.org\>