---
name: "sbuild-checkpackages"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "sbuild"
version: "0.89.3+deb13u4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sbuild-checkpackages"
---

# sbuild-checkpackages(1)

check the package list in a sbuild chroot against a reference list

## NAME

sbuild-checkpackages - check the package list in a sbuild chroot against a reference list

## SYNOPSIS

**sbuild-checkpackages** \[**-h**\|**--help** \| **-V**\|**--version**  \| **-l**\|**--list** \| **-s**\|**--set**\] **CHROOT**

## DESCRIPTION

**sbuild-checkpackages** compares the package list in an sbuild chroot (dpkg status file) against a reference list of packages.  The differences between the two lists are displayed, showing the changes to remove and install in order to return the chroot to match the reference list.

The reference list may be set from the dpkg status file; this must be done initially in order to have a baseline reference for comparison.  The chroot should only include **essential** and **build-essential** packages, plus the extra packages that sbuild needs such as **fakeroot**.

## OPTIONS

### Actions

- **-h**, **--help**

  Display this manual.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Print version information.

- **-l**, **--list**

  List the differences between the installed packages and the reference file.

- **-s**, **--set**

  Set the reference file from the currently installed package list.

### Chroot selection

- **CHROOT**

  The chroot to use.  Note that ‘o’, ‘s’, ‘t’, ‘u’ and ‘e’ may be used as abbreviations for ‘oldstable’, ‘stable’, ‘testing’, ‘unstable’ and ‘experimental’, respectively.

## EXAMPLES

To set the reference file in the *unstable* chroot:

`% `**sbuild-checkpackages unstable --set**\

**To show the differences in the** *unstable* **chroot:**

`% `**sbuild-checkpackages unstable --list**\

## AUTHORS

```
Roger Leigh.
```

## COPYRIGHT

```
Copyright © 2006–2008 Roger Leigh <rleigh@debian.org>.
```

## SEE ALSO

[**sbuild**(1)](/sbuild/1.md).