---
name: "dpkg-trigger"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dpkg"
version: "1.23.11-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dpkg-trigger"
---

# dpkg-trigger(1)

a package trigger utility

## NAME

dpkg-trigger - a package trigger utility

## SYNOPSIS

**dpkg-trigger** \[*option*...\] *trigger-name*

**dpkg-trigger** \[*option*...\] *command*

## DESCRIPTION

**dpkg-trigger** is a tool to explicitly activate triggers and check for its support on the running **dpkg**.

This can be used by maintainer scripts in complex and conditional situations where the file triggers, or the declarative **activate** triggers control file directive, are insufficiently rich. It can also be used for testing and by system administrators (but note that the triggers won't actually be run by **dpkg-trigger**).

Unrecognized trigger name syntaxes are an error for **dpkg-trigger**.

This program was introduced in dpkg 1.14.17.

## COMMANDS

- **--check-supported**

  Check if the running **dpkg** supports triggers (usually called from a postinst). Will exit **0** if a triggers-capable **dpkg** has run, or **1** with an error message to stderr if not. Normally, however, it is better just to activate the desired trigger with **dpkg-trigger**.

- **-?**, **--help**

  Show the usage message and exit.

- **--version**

  Show the version and exit.

## OPTIONS

- **--admindir=***dir*

  Change the location of the **dpkg** database. Defaults to */var/lib/dpkg* if **DPKG\_ADMINDIR** has not been set.

- **--root=***directory*

  Set the root directory to *directory*, which sets the administrative directory to «*directory*/var/lib/dpkg».

  Supported since dpkg 1.21.0.

- **--by-package=***package*

  Override trigger awaiter (normally set by **dpkg** through the **DPKG\_MAINTSCRIPT\_PACKAGE** environment variable of the maintainer scripts, naming the package to which the script belongs, and this will be used by default).

- **--no-await**

  This option arranges that the calling package *T* (if any) need not await the processing of this trigger; the interested package(s) *I*, will not be added to *T*'s trigger processing awaited list and *T*'s status is unchanged. *T* may be considered installed even though *I* may not yet have processed the trigger.

- **--await**

  This option does the inverse of **--no-await**. If the interested package has declared a “noawait” directive, then this option will not be effective. It is currently the default behavior.

  Supported since dpkg 1.17.21.

- **--no-act**

  Just test, do not actually change anything.

## EXIT STATUS

- **0**

  The requested action was successfully performed. Or a check or assertion command returned true.

- **1**

  A check or assertion command returned false.

- **2**

  Fatal or unrecoverable error due to invalid command-line usage, or interactions with the system, such as accesses to the database, memory allocations, etc.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **DPKG\_ROOT**

  If set and the **--root** option has not been specified, it will be used as the filesystem root directory.

  Supported since dpkg 1.21.0.

- **DPKG\_ADMINDIR**

  If set and the **--admindir** option has not been specified, it will be used as the **dpkg** data directory.

- **DPKG\_DEBUG**

  Sets the debug mask from an octal value. The currently accepted flags are described in the **dpkg --debug** option, but not all these flags might have an effect on this program.

  Supported since dpkg 1.21.10.

- **DPKG\_COLORS**

  Sets the color mode. The currently accepted values are: **auto** (default), **always** and **never**.

  Supported since dpkg 1.18.5.

- **DPKG\_NLS**

  If set, it will be used to decide whether to activate Native Language Support, also known as internationalization (or i18n) support. The accepted values are: **0** and **1** (default).

  Supported since dpkg 1.22.7.

## SEE ALSO

[**dpkg**(1)](/dpkg/1.md), [**deb-triggers**(5)](/deb-triggers/5.md), **/usr/share/doc/dpkg/spec/triggers.txt**.