---
name: "dpkg-vendor"
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-vendor"
---

# dpkg-vendor(1)

queries information about distribution vendors

## NAME

dpkg-vendor - queries information about distribution vendors

## SYNOPSIS

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

## DESCRIPTION

**dpkg-vendor** is a tool to query information about vendors listed in **/etc/dpkg/origins**. **/etc/dpkg/origins/default** contains information about the current vendor.

The origin files provide metadata about specific vendors, such as their URL or where to file bug reports, and are usually used both to determine the behavior of tools and resulting contents during package builds targeting a specific vendor, and to describe the provenance of packages.

Packages can explicitly declare their vendor by including an **Origin** field, otherwise the vendor for a package without such field is assumed to be the one pointed to by the *default* origin symbolic link.

The *default* symbolic link is also used to denote the origin of the current installation managed by **dpkg**, be that a full distribution or an overlay on top of an existing base system that contains either no packaging system or a native one.

This program was introduced in dpkg 1.15.1.

## COMMANDS

- **--is** *vendor*

  Exits with **0** if the current vendor is *vendor*. Otherwise exits with **1**.

- **--derives-from** *vendor*

  Exits with **0** if the current vendor distribution is a derivative of *vendor*, otherwise exits with **1**. It uses the **Parent** field to browse all ancestors of the current vendor.

- **--query** *field*

  Print on standard output the value of the vendor-specific *field* for the current vendor.

- **--help**

  Show the usage message and exit.

- **--version**

  Show the version and exit.

## OPTIONS

- **--vendor** *vendor*

  Assumes the current vendor is *vendor* instead of discovering it with the **DEB\_VENDOR** environment variable or **/etc/dpkg/origins/default**.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **DEB\_VENDOR**

  This setting defines the current vendor. If not set, it will discover the current vendor by reading **/etc/dpkg/origins/default**.

- **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 1.19.0.

## FILES

### Packaging support

- **/usr/share/dpkg/vendor.mk**

  Makefile snippet that sets the current vendor and its parent into variables, and provides make macros to check for derivatives.

  Supported since dpkg 1.16.1.

## SEE ALSO

[**deb-origin**(5)](/deb-origin/5.md).