---
name: "update-dlocatedb"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "dlocate"
version: "1.17"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/update-dlocatedb"
---

# update-dlocatedb(8)

generate text database of installed files for dlocate

## NAME

update-dlocatedb - generate text database of installed files for dlocate

## SYNOPSIS

**update-dlocatedb** \[*option*...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**update-dlocatedb** generates a plain text package contents listing from the files */var/lib/dpkg/info/\*.list*.

This program is usually called from *cron.daily*.

## OPTIONS

- **-p**

  Update the packages list only.

- **-j**

  Update the files list only.

- **-b**

  Update both (default).

- **-h**

  This help message.

## FILES

- */etc/default/dlocate*

  Configuration file with default options. Currently the only option is to enable/disable gzip compression of the dlocatedb file.

- */var/lib/dpkg/info*

  Directory containing dpkg file lists.

- */var/lib/dlocate/dlocatedb*

  Plain text listing of all files belonging to all packages (optionally compressed).

- */var/lib/dlocate/dpkg-list*

  Listing of all packages known to dpkg.

  This contains the reformatted output output of `"dpkg -l"`. The file format is four fields separated by tabs:

  ```
    status<TAB>package-name<TAB>installed-version<TAB>synopsis
  ```

  The "installed-version" field may contain an architecture, e.g. ":arch".

## SEE ALSO

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