This list (probably non-exhaustive) tries to track software that handles .deb files directly, and their level of support for the deb format.

Some of these should ideally be switched to use one of the existing libraries or modules that implement deb support, so that whenever there's a change in the format we don't need to hunt and modify a ton of packages. Others handle .deb files directly only as a fallback whenever dpkg-deb is not available, which makes them somewhat more resilient to format changes.

The current support seems quite bleak, and part of the blame goes to dpkg for not providing better interfaces for others to use, hopefully that will be remedied soon.

Support table

Sorted somewhat by position on the stack and/or order of importance. Missing support information includes: R/W, tar formats, validation.

Software

fallback raw

ar/tar LFS

ar member slash

ar _ members

ar extra members

control.tar

control.tar.xz

data.tar

data.tar.xz

data.tar.bz2

data.tar.lzma

dpkg

{*}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

ar + tar + compressor

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

apt 742882

<!>

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

python-apt 742885

<!>

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

lintian 718331

<!>

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

dak

<!>

(./)

{i}

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

<!>

Debian Archive

<!>

{i}

{i}

<!>

<!>

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

<!>

Ubuntu Archive

<!>

{X}

(./)

<!>

<!>

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

debdelta 747695

<!>

(./)

(./)

{i}

{i}

{X}

{X}

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

debootstrap

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

/!\ {1}

crosshurd

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

<!>

<!>

cdebootstrap

<!>

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

<!>

udpkg 739411

<!>

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

<!>

(./)

<!>

<!>

busybox

<!>

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

/!\

reprepro

<!>

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

alien

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

deb-gview 718386 742887 742892

<!>

{X}

(./)

{X}

(./)

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

<!>

<!>

debsig-verify

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

debsigs

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

dpkg-sig

<!>

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

python-debian 718355

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

<!>

ruby-debian 718389

<!>

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

<!>

<!>

apt-zip 718376

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

<!>

<!>

emacs-goodies-el 718388

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

<!>

vim-scripts

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

zeroinstall-injector

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

fossology

{i}

{i}

{i}

{i}

{i}

{X}

{X}

{i}

{X}

{i}

{i}

dedup.debian.net

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

Legend