--- name: "dpkg" section: "8" platform: "linux" package: "dpkg" version: "1.10.28" release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/dpkg/8" --- # dpkg(8) a medium-level package manager for Debian ## NAME dpkg - a medium-level package manager for Debian ## SYNOPSIS **dpkg** \[*options*\] *action* ## WARNING This manual is intended for users wishing to understand **dpkg**'s command line options and package states in more detail than that provided by **dpkg --help**. It should *not* be used by package maintainers wishing to understand how **dpkg** will install their packages. The descriptions of what **dpkg** does when installing and removing packages are particularly inadequate. ## DESCRIPTION **dpkg** is a medium-level tool to install, build, remove and manage Debian packages. The primary and more user-friendly front-end for **dpkg** is [**dselect**(8)](/dselect/8.md). **dpkg** itself is controlled entirely via command line parameters, which consist of exactly one action and zero or more options. The action-parameter tells dpkg what to do and options control the behavior of the action in some way. **dpkg** can be also be used as a front-end to **dpkg-deb**. The following are **dpkg-deb** actions, and if they are encountered, **dpkg** just runs **dpkg-deb** with the parameters given to it: ``` -b, --build, -c, --contents, -I, --info, -f, --field, -e, --control, -x, --extract, -X, --vextract, and --fsys-tarfile. ``` Please refer to [**dpkg-deb**(1)](/dpkg-deb/1.md) for information about these actions. ## INFORMATION ABOUT PACKAGES **dpkg** maintains some usable information about available packages. The information is divided in three classes: **states**, **selection states** and **flags**. These values are intended to be changed mainly with **dselect**. ### PACKAGE STATES - **installed** The package is unpacked and configured OK. - **half-installed** The installation of the package has been started, but not completed for some reason. - **not-installed** The package is not installed on your system. - **unpacked** The package is unpacked, but not configured. - **half-configured** The package is unpacked and configuration has been started, but not yet completed for some reason. - **config-files** Only the configuration files of the package exist on the system. ### PACKAGE SELECTION STATES - **install** The package is selected for installation. - **deinstall** The package is selected for deinstallation (i.e. we want to remove all files, except configuration files). - **purge** The package is selected to be purged (i.e. we want to remove everything, even configuration files). ### PACKAGE FLAGS - **hold** A package marked to be on **hold** is not handled by **dpkg**, unless forced to do that with option **--force-hold**. - **reinst-required** A package marked **reinst-required** is broken and requires reinstallation. These packages cannot be removed, unless forced with option **--force-remove-reinstreq**. ## ACTIONS - **dpkg -i** \| **--install** *package\_file*... Install the package. If **--recursive** or **-R** option is specified, *package\_file* must refer to a directory instead. Installation consists of the following steps:\ **1.** Extract the control files of the new package.\ **2.** If another version of the same package was installed before the new installation, execute *prerm* script of the old package.\ **3.** Run *preinst* script, if provided by the package.\ **4.** Unpack the new files, and at the same time back up the old files, so that if something goes wrong, they can be restored.\ **5.** If another version of the same package was installed before the new installation, execute the *postrm* script of the old package. Note that this script is executed after the *preinst* script of the new package, because new files are written at the same time old files are removed.\ **6.** Configure the package. See **--configure** for detailed information about how this is done. - **dpkg --unpack** *package\_file* ... Unpack the package, but don't configure it. If **--recursive** or **-R** option is specified, *package\_file* must refer to a directory instead. - **dpkg --configure** *package* ... \| **-a** \| **--pending** Reconfigure an unpacked package. If **-a** or **--pending** is given instead of *package*, all unpacked but unconfigured packages are configured. Configuring consists of the following steps:\ **1.** Unpack the configuration files, and at the same time back up the old configuration files, so that they can be restored if something goes wrong.\ **2.** Run *postinst* script, if provided by the package. - **dpkg -r** \| **--remove** \| **-P** \| **--purge** *package* ... \| **-a** \| **--pending** Remove an installed package. **-r** or **--remove** remove everything except configuration files. This may avoid having to reconfigure the package if it is reinstalled later. (Configuration files are the files listed in the *debian/conffiles* control file). **-P** or **--purge** removes everything, including configuration files. If **-a** or **--pending** is given instead of a package name, then all packages unpacked, but marked to be removed or purged in file */var/lib/dpkg/status*, are removed or purged, respectively. Removing of a package consists of the following steps:\ **1.** Run *prerm* script\ **2.** Remove the installed files\ **3.** Run *postrm* script\ - **dpkg --update-avail** \| **--merge-avail** *Packages-file* Update **dpkg**'s and **dselect**'s idea of which packages are available. With action **--merge-avail**, old information is combined with information from *Packages-file*. With action **--update-avail**, old information is replaced with the information in the *Packages-file*. The *Packages-file* distributed with Debian is simply named *Packages*. **dpkg** keeps its record of available packages in */var/lib/dpkg/available*. A simpler one-shot command to retrieve and update the *available* fileis **dselect update**. - **dpkg -A** \| **--record-avail** *package\_file* ... Update **dpkg** and **dselect**'s idea of which packages are available with information from the package *package\_file*. If **--recursive** or **-R** option is specified, *package\_file* must refer to a directory instead. - **dpkg --forget-old-unavail** Forget about uninstalled unavailable packages. - **dpkg --clear-avail** Erase the existing information about what packages are available. - **dpkg -C** \| **--audit** Searches for packages that have been installed only partially on your system. **dpkg** will suggest what to do with them to get them working. - **dpkg --get-selections** \[*pattern*...\] Get list of package selections, and write it to stdout. - **dpkg --set-selections** Set package selections using file read from stdin. - **dpkg --yet-to-unpack** Searches for packages selected for installation, but which for some reason still haven't been installed. - - **dpkg --print-architecture** Print target architecture (for example, "i386"). This option uses **gcc**. - **dpkg --print-gnu-build-architecture** Print GNU version of target architecture (for example, "i486"). - **dpkg --print-installation-architecture** Print host architecture for installation. - **dpkg --compare-versions *ver1 op ver2*** Compare version numbers, where *op* is a binary operator. **dpkg** returns success (zero result) if the specified condition is satisfied, and failure (nonzero result) otherwise. There are two groups of operators, which differ in how they treat an empty *ver1* or *ver2*. These treat an empty version as earlier than any version: **lt le eq ne ge gt**. These treat an empty version as later than any version: **lt-nl le-nl ge-nl gt-nl**. These are provided only for compatibility with control file syntax: **\< \<\< \<= = \>= \>\>** **\>**. - **dpkg --command-fd \** Accept a series of commands on input file descriptor **\**. Note: additional options set on the command line, and thru this file descriptor, are not reset for subsequent commands executed during the same run. - **dpkg --help** Display a brief help message. - **dpkg --force-help** Give help about the **--force-***thing* options. - **dpkg -Dh** \| **--debug=help** Give help about debugging options. - **dpkg --licence** \| **dpkg --license** Display **dpkg** licence. - **dpkg --version** Display **dpkg** version information. - **dpkg-deb-actions** See [**dpkg-deb**(1)](/dpkg-deb/1.md) for more information about the following actions. ``` dpkg -b | --build directory [filename] Build a deb package. dpkg -c | --contents filename List contents of a deb package. dpkg -e | --control filename [directory] Extract control-information from a package. dpkg -x | --extract filename directory Extract the files contained by package. dpkg -f | --field filename [control-field] ... Display control field(s) of a package. dpkg --fsys-tarfile filename Display the filesystem tar-file contained by a Debian package. dpkg -I | --info filename [control-file] Show information about a package. dpkg -X | --vextract filename directory Extract and display the filenames contained by a package. ``` - **dpkg-query-actions** See [**dpkg-query**(1)](/dpkg-query/1.md) for more information about the following actions. ``` dpkg -l | --list package-name-pattern ... List packages matching given pattern. dpkg -s | --status package-name ... Report status of specified package. dpkg -L | --listfiles package ... List files installed to your system from package. dpkg -S | --search filename-search-pattern ... Search for a filename from installed packages. dpkg -p | --print-avail package Display details about package, as found in /var/lib/dpkg/available. ``` ## OPTIONS All options can be specified both on the commandline and in the **dpkg** configuration file */etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg*. Each line in the configuration file is either an option (exactly the same as the commandline option but without leading dashes) or a comment (if it starts with a **#**).\ - **--abort-after=***number* Change after how many errors dpkg will abort. The default is 50. - **-B**\|**--auto-deconfigure** When a package is removed, there is a possibility that another installed package depended on the removed package. Specifying this option will cause automatic deconfiguration of the package which depended on the removed package. - **-D***octal* **\| --debug=***octal* **Set debugging on.** *octal* **is formed by bitwise-orring desired** **values together from the list below (note that these values may change** **in future releases). -Dh or --debug=help display these** **debugging values.** **number description**\ **1 Generally helpful progress information**\ **2 Invocation and status of maintainer scripts**\ **10 Output for each file processed**\ **100 Lots of output for each file processed**\ **20 Output for each configuration file**\ **200 Lots of output for each configuration file**\ **40 Dependencies and conflicts**\ **400 Lots of dependencies/conflicts output**\ **1000 Lots of drivel about e.g. the dpkg/info dir**\ **2000 Insane amounts of drivel** - **--force-***things* **\| --no-force-***things* **\| --refuse-***things* **Force or refuse (no-force and refuse mean the same thing)** **to do some things.** *things* **is a comma separated list of things** **specified below. --force-help displays a message describing them.** **Things marked with (\*) are forced by default.** *Warning: These options are mostly intended to be used by experts* *only. Using them without fully understanding their effects may break* *your whole system.* **all:** **Turns on(or off) all force options.** **auto-select(\*):** **Select packages to install them, and deselect packages to remove them.** **downgrade(\*):** **Install a package, even if newer version of it is already installed.** *Warning: At present dpkg does not do any dependency* *checking on downgrades and therefore will not warn you* *if the downgrade breaks the dependency of some other* *package. This can have serious side effects, downgrading* *essential system components can even make your whole* *system unusable. Use with care.* **configure-any:** **Configure also any unpacked but unconfigured packages on which the current** **package depends.** **hold:** **Process packages even when marked "hold".** **remove-reinstreq:** **Remove a package, even if it's broken and marked to require** **reinstallation. This may, for example, cause parts of the package to** **remain on the system, which will then be forgotten by dpkg.** **remove-essential:** **Remove, even if the package is considered essential. Essential** **packages contain mostly very basic Unix commands. Removing them might** **cause the whole system to stop working, so use with caution.** **depends:** **Turn all dependency problems into warnings.** **depends-version:** **Don't care about versions when checking dependencies.** **conflicts:** **Install, even if it conflicts with another package. This is dangerous,** **for it will usually cause overwriting of some files.** **confmiss:** **Always install a missing configuration file. This is dangerous,** **since it means not preserving a change (removing) made to the** **file.** **confnew:** **If a conffile has been modified always install the new version without** **prompting, unless the --force-confdef is also specified, in** **which case the default action is preferred.** **confold:** **If a conffile has been modified always keep the old version without** **prompting, unless the --force-confdef is also specified, in** **which case the default action is preferred.** **confdef:** **If a conffile has been modified always choose the default action. If** **there is no default action it will stop to ask the user unless** **--force-confnew or --force-confold is also been given, in** **which case it will use that to decide the final action.** **overwrite:** **Overwrite one package's file with another's file.** **overwrite-dir** **Overwrite one package's directory with another's file.** **overwrite-diverted:** **Overwrite a diverted file with an undiverted version.** **architecture:** **Process even packages with the wrong architecture.** **bad-path:** **PATH is missing important programs, so problems are likely.** **not-root:** **Try to (de)install things even when not root.** **bad-verify:** **Install a package even if it fails authenticity check.** - **--ignore-depends=***package***,...** **Ignore dependency-checking for specified packages (actually, checking is** **performed, but only warnings about conflicts are given, nothing else).** - **--new \| --old** **Select new or old binary package format. This is a [dpkg-deb(1)](/dpkg-deb/1.md)** **option.** - **--nocheck** **Don't read or check contents of control file while building a package.** **This is a [dpkg-deb(1)](/dpkg-deb/1.md) option.** - **--no-act \| --dry-run \| --simulate** **Do everything which is supposed to be done, but don't write any** **changes. This is used to see what would happen with the specified** **action, without actually modifying anything.** **Be sure to give --no-act before the action-parameter, or you might** **end up with undesirable results. (e.g. dpkg --purge foo** **--no-act will first purge package foo and then try to purge package** **--no-act, even though you probably expected it to actually do nothing)** - **-R \| --recursive** **Recursively handle all regular files matching pattern \*.deb** **found at specified directories and all of its subdirectories. This can** **be used with -i, -A, --install, --unpack and** **--avail actions.** - **-G** **Don't install a package if a newer version of the same package is already** **installed. This is an alias of --refuse-downgrade.** - **--root=***dir* **\| --admindir=***dir* **\| --instdir=***dir* **Change default directories. admindir defaults to** */var/lib/dpkg* **and contains many files that give information** **about status of installed or uninstalled packages, etc. instdir** **defaults to** */* **and refers to the directory where packages are to** **be installed. instdir is also the directory passed to** **[chroot(2)](/chroot/2.md) before running** *package***'s installation scripts, which** **means that the scripts see instdir as a root directory.** **Changing root changes instdir to** *dir* **and** **admindir to** *dir***/var/lib/dpkg.** - **-O \| --selected-only** **Only process the packages that are selected for installation. The** **actual marking is done with dselect or by dpkg, when it** **handles packages. For example, when a package is removed, it will** **be marked selected for deinstallation.** - **-E** \| **--skip-same-version** **Don't install the package if the same version of the package is already** **installed.** - **--status-fd** *\* **Send package status info to file descriptor** *\***. This can be given** **multiple times. Status updates are of the form \`status: \: \'.** ## FILES - */etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg* **Configuration file with default options.** **The other files listed below are in their default directories, see option** **--admindir to see how to change locations of these files.** - */var/lib/dpkg/available* **List of available packages.** - */var/lib/dpkg/status* **Statuses of available packages. This file contains information about** **whether a package is marked for removing or not, whether it is** **installed or not, etc. See section INFORMATION ABOUT PACKAGES** **for more info.** **The following files are components of a binary package. See [deb(5)](/deb/5.md)** **for more information about them:** - *control* - *conffiles* - *preinst* - *postinst* - *prerm* - *postrm* ## ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES - **DPKG\_NO\_TSTP** **Define this to something if you prefer dpkg starting a new** **shell rather than suspending itself, while doing a shell escape.** - **SHELL** **The program dpkg will execute while starting a new shell.** - **COLUMNS** **Sets the number of columns dpkg should use when displaying formatted** **text. Currently only used by -l.** - **DPKG\_OLD\_CONFFILE** **Set by dpkg to the filename of the old configuration file** **when you start a shell to examine a changed configuration.** **file.** - **DPKG\_NEW\_CONFFILE** **Set by dpkg to the filename of the newversion of a configuration file** **when you start a shell to examine a changed configuration.** **file.** ## EXAMPLES **To list packages related to the editor vi:**\ **dpkg -l '\*vi\*'**\ **To see the entries in** */var/lib/dpkg/available* **on two packages:**\ **dpkg --print-avail elvis vim \| less**\ **To search the listing of packages yourself:**\ **less /var/lib/dpkg/available**\ **To remove an installed elvis package:**\ **dpkg -r elvis**\ **To install a package, you first need to find it in an archive or** **CDROM. The "available" file shows that the vim package is in section** **"editors":**\ **cd /cdrom/hamm/hamm/binary/editors** **dpkg -i vim\_4.5-3.deb**\ **To make a local copy of the package selection states:**\ **dpkg --get-selections \>myselections**\ **You might transfer this file to another computer, and install it there** **with:**\ **dpkg --set-selections \