?DebianWikiTopics


See also: ?DebianPackageLink .


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

The ["MIME"] type is

 application/x-deb

You can select like default action "install package (dpkg)". See ["DPkg"].

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 ?PackageName, and there are certain rules for what can and can't be in it. See also PackageInstallTips.

Finding packages

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

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 (sometimes in DebianUnstable, rarely in DebianTesting and never in DebianStable). If apt or dselect fail to upgrade your system, first try updating dpkg (["DPkg"]), then perl, then apt.

If you think your package is just plain broken please submit a ?DebianBug!

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.

Creating debian packages

Can't find a deb for some software you would like to install? Create your own package. Easy instructions can be found in the Debian Binary Package Building HOWTO found at http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/Debian-Binary-Package-Building-HOWTO.html . If you have found a rpm you can convert it into a deb with {package:alien}.

{package:CheckInstall} runs make install for you, watching each modified file, and creates a deb which can be used to reinstall or remove a package. Very handy!

The Debian package management chapter of the Debian Reference contains lots of useful information for handling all kinds of problems one runs into with apt and dpkg. http://qref.sourceforge.net/Debian/reference/ch-package.en.html


See also {Wikipedia:List_of_open-source_software_packages}