---
name: "dose-deb-coinstall"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dose-extra"
version: "7.0.0-6+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dose-deb-coinstall"
---

# dose-deb-coinstall(1)

calculate a coinstallation set of a given set of Debian binary packages

## NAME

dose-debcoinstall - calculate a coinstallation set of a given set of Debian binary packages

## SYNOPSIS

- **dose-debcoinstall** \[options\] *binary-repositories*

  ## DESCRIPTION

dose-debcoinstall determines whether a set of foreground Debian binary packages can be installed together given a set of background Debian binary packages. If a valid coinstallation set exists, than it is printed on standard output; else the application exists with exit code 1 and prints nothing.

If the **--src** option is given, then the associated source packages are printed on standard output instead.

Packages are split into foreground and background: only packages in the foreground are checked for coinstallability, but dependencies may be satisfied by foreground packages and by background packages. By default, all packages are in the foreground.

## INPUT FORMAT

The **binary-repositories** argument is a list of filenames containing stanzas in the format of [**deb-control**(5)](/deb-control/5.md), separated by one blank line. For instance, the Packages files as found on a Debian mirror server, or in the directory */var/lib/apt/lists/* of a Debian system, are suitable.

The **--src** option requires a file containing debian source control stanzas, separated by one blank line. For instance, the Sources files as found on a Debian mirror server, or in the directory */var/lib/apt/lists/* of a Debian system, are suitable.

## OPTIONS

- **--deb-native-arch=***name*

  Specify the native architecture. The default behavior is to deduce the native architecture from the first package stanza in the input that has an architecture different from all.

- **--deb-foreign-archs=***name* \[,*name*\] ...

  Specify a comma-separated list of foreign architectures. The default is an empty list of foreign architectures. If **--deb-host-arch** is set, it is used as an implicit foreign architecture.

- **--deb-host-arch=***name*...

  Specify the host architecture. If this option is given, **--deb-native-arch** must also be set.

- **-f --failures**

  Print a diagnostic in YAML format containing the list of packages that were attempted to install together and the result of the operation.

- **-v --successes**

  Only show packages that do not fail the installability check.

- **-e --explain**

  Explain the results in more detail providing the reason why some packages cannot be installed together.

- **--src=***source-repository*

  Instead of printing binary packages, print the associated source packages as given in the debian Sources file **source-repository**.

- **--dump=***cudf-file*

  Dump the CUDF universe to **cudf-file** representing the encoding of binary and source packages, plus the coinstallability request.

- **--fg=***binary-repository*

  Specify a foreground binary repository.

- **--bg=***binary-repository*

  Specify a background binary repository.

- **--latest** *n*

  Consider only the latest -*n* most recent versions of each package, older versions of packages are ignored.

- **-v**

  Enable info / warnings / debug messages. This option may be repeated up to three times in order to increase verbosity.

- **-h, --help**

  Display this list of options.

## EXIT CODES

Exit codes 0-63 indicate a normal termination of the program, codes 64-127 indicate abnormal termination of the program (such as parse errors, I/O errors).

In case of normal program termination:

\- exit code 0 indicates that a valid coinstallation set exists

\- exit code 1 indicates that at no coinstallation set exists

## EXAMPLE

Compute the list of binary packages needed to install all packages marked as essential:

```
 grep-dctrl -X -FEssential yes \
 /var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.fr.debian.org_debian_dists_sid_main_binary-amd64_Packages \
 > essential
 dose-debcoinstall --deb-native-arch=amd64 \
 --bg /var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.fr.debian.org_debian_dists_sid_main_binary-amd64_Packages \
 --fg essential > essential_coinstall
```

Compute the list of source packages needed to build these packages:

```
 dose-debcoinstall --deb-native-arch=amd64 \
 --src /var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.fr.debian.org_debian_dists_sid_main_source_Sources \
 --bg /var/lib/apt/lists/ftp.fr.debian.org_debian_dists_sid_main_binary-amd64_Packages \
 --fg essential > essential_coinstall_src
```

## AUTHOR

The current version has been rewritten on the basis of the dose3 library by Pietro Abate.

## SEE ALSO

[**deb-control**(5)](/deb-control/5.md), **dose3-distcheck**(1)

\<http://www.edos-project.org\> is the home page of the EDOS project. \<http://www.mancoosi.org\> is the home page of the Mancoosi project.