---
name: "what-patch"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "devscripts"
version: "2.25.15+deb13u1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/what-patch"
---

# what-patch(1)

detect which patch system a Debian package uses

## NAME

what-patch - detect which patch system a Debian package uses

## SYNOPSIS

**what-patch \[*options*\]**

## DESCRIPTION

**what-patch** examines the *debian/rules* file to determine which patch system the Debian package is using.

**what-patch** should be run from the root directory of the Debian source package.

## OPTIONS

Listed below are the command line options for **what-patch**:

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

  Display a help message and exit.

- **-v**

  Enable verbose mode. This will include the listing of any files modified outside or the *debian/* directory and report any additional details about the patch system if available.

## AUTHORS

**what-patch** was written by Kees Cook \<kees@ubuntu.com\>, Siegfried-A. Gevatter \<rainct@ubuntu.com\>, and Daniel Hahler \<ubuntu@thequod.de\>, among others. This manual page was written by Jonathan Patrick Davies \<jpds@ubuntu.com\>.

Both are released under the GNU General Public License, version 3 or later.

## SEE ALSO

The Ubuntu MOTU team has some documentation about patch systems at the Ubuntu wiki: *https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PackagingGuide/PatchSystems*