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A Debian package is a file that ends in '''{{{.deb}}}''' and contains software for your Debian system.
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The [[MIME]] type is
{{{
 application/x-deb
}}}
A Debian package is a file that ends in '''{{{.deb}}}''' and contains software for your Debian system.

A .deb is also known as a '''binary package'''. This means that the program inside the package is ready to run on your system.

There are also '''[[SourcePackage|source packages]]'''.
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The [[MIME]] type is
{{{
 application/x-deb
}}}
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Do you want to install a package but don't know how to find the name of it? Check out the debian package web page at http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages (or http://packages.debian.org/<name> if you know the package name). Remember to select the [[DebianReleases|Debian release]] that you are running (eg. DebianStable, DebianTesting or DebianUnstable). The packages vary significantly between releases. if you want to install a package but you don't know how to find its name :
look for it at http:
//www.debian.org/distrib/packages (or http://packages.debian.org/<name> if you know the package name).

Remember to select the [[DebianReleases|Debian release]] that you are running (eg. DebianStable, DebianTesting or DebianUnstable). The packages vary significantly between releases.
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Unfortunately some packages are broken (sometimes in DebianUnstable, rarely in DebianTesting and never in DebianStable). If apt-get or aptitude fail to upgrade your system, first try updating DebPkg:dpkg, then DebPkg:perl, then DebPkg:apt. Unfortunately some packages are broken. If apt-get or aptitude fail to upgrade your system, first try updating [[aptitude]], then [[Apt]], then [[dpkg]].
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== Source packages ==
A .deb is also known as a '''binary package'''. This means that the program inside the package is ready to run on your system.

There are also '''[[SourcePackage]]s'''. One way to obtain these is with {{{apt-get source <package name>}}}. If you are trying to determine which compile-time options are enabled for a specific package (DebianPackageConfiguration), looking at the SourcePackage can be useful.

You can use http://packages.debian.org/src:<name> for the search on source package names.

== Creating debian packages ==
Can't find a deb for some software you would like to install?

HowToPackageForDebian shows how to create your own package.

== Building debian packages ==

To make sure that a debian package meets all build dependencies and is not influenced by anything specific to the user's environment, packages should be built in a [[chroot]] environment. Tools like [[PbuilderTricks|pbuilder]] can be used for this.

When working on a package, a faster rebuild can be done with 'dpkg-buildpackage'. But then, all build-dependencies must be satisfied in the installation where the package is built. All necessary packages can be installed automatically with {{{apt-get build-dep}}}. A complete example for building the DebPkg:foo package looks like this:

{{{
 $ apt-get source foo
 $ cd foo-0.0.1
 $ sudo apt-get build-dep foo
 $ dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot
}}}
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----
== See also: ==
 * WikiPedia:List_of_open-source_software_packages
 * http://www.debian.org/devel/wnpp/prospective : requested packages, and packages being worked on.
 * http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-debpkg.html : creating debian packages - high-level description of debian packaging .
 * The Debian New Maintainer's Guide (http://www.debian.org/doc/maint-guide/), which could be practically renamed to the Debian Packaging Guide, as it has more to do with simple packaging than maintaining.
 * [[http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/336]] Rolling your own debian packages.

and

 * DebianPackagingHandbook
 * ConfigPackages
 * PackageConfigUpgrade : propose a new way to smoothly handle configuration upgrades during package upgrades
 * DataPackages
 * DebugPackage
 * EtchTransitionalPackages
 * HowToPackageForDebian
 * PackageCustomization
 * PackagingWithDarcs
 * PackagingWithGit
 * [[Packaging/How_To_Create_A_New_Package]]
 * [[PkgSplit|Making Multiple Packages From A Single Source Tarball]]
 * [[Renaming_a_Package]]
 * SecurePbuilder
 * SponsorChecklist
 * [[VCSPackaging]]
 * AutomakeTransition
 * [[deb]] files
 * [[RPM|rpm]] - Tool for extracting from RPM source tarballs
 * Autobuilding non-free packages: http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.debian.devel.announce/997
== See also ==
 * [[DebianPackaging]]

Translation(s): español - français - italiano

(!) ?Discussion


Presentation

A Debian package is a file that ends in .deb and contains software for your Debian system.

A .deb is also known as a binary package. This means that the program inside the package is ready to run on your system.

There are also source packages.

You can select a default action like "install package (dpkg in a terminal)".

A Debian package is smart enough to know how to add itself to your system, remove itself, and even configure itself to your needs.

Every package comes with its own ?DebianPackageDocumentation.

What's in a name? Every package has a name, and there are certain rules for what can and can't be in it. See also PackageInstallTips.

The MIME type is

 application/x-deb

Finding packages

if you want to install a package but you don't know how to find its name : look for it at http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages (or http://packages.debian.org/<name> if you know the package name).

Remember to select the Debian release that you are running (eg. DebianStable, DebianTesting or DebianUnstable). The packages vary significantly between releases.

For a keyword search in the package descriptions, use apt-cache.

If you look specifically for alternatives to some windows programs see WinAppEquivalents.

If you wonder where a package you've got installed on your system has gone, when it becomes "obsolete" and unavailable, see http://ftp-master.debian.org/removals.txt to find out about removed packages.

Bugs

Unfortunately some packages are broken. If apt-get or aptitude fail to upgrade your system, first try updating aptitude, then Apt, then dpkg.

If you think your package is just plain broken please submit a Debian bug (see reportbug)!

How to extract the content of a package

Do not attempt to use just dpkg-deb or the other commands in this page to install software ! You must use dpkg proper to ensure that all the files are correctly placed and the package's scripts run and its status and contents recorded.

 dpkg-deb -x file.deb dir

Virtual Package

www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ - Debian Policy Manual's Virtual packages

Sometimes, there are several packages which offer more-or-less the same functionality. In this case, it's useful to define a virtual package whose name describes that common functionality...

See also


CategoryPackageManagement


  • ToDo: This page needs cleanup