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 is much better than it used to be, but there is still much software to fix, and part of the blame goes to dpkg for not providing better interfaces for others to use, hopefully that will be remedied soon. Here's a list of interfaces to start with, that might help:

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

ar/tar LFS

tar large meta

ar members

control.tar compressed

data.tar compressed

end-/

_

extra

no

xz

zst

no

xz

zst

bz2

lzma

ar + tar + compressor

<!>

(./)

(./) {2}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

dpkg

{*}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

udpkg

<!>

(./)

(./) {2}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

<!>

<!>

busybox

<!>

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

debsig-verify

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

debsigs

<!>

(./)

{OK}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

dpkg-sig

<!>

{i}

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

debdelta

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

{i}

{i}

(./)

(./)

{X}

{i}

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

alien

(./)

(./)

(./) {2}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

debootstrap

(./)

(./)

(./) {2}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

/!\ {1}

cdebootstrap

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

<!>

crosshurd

(./)

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

apt

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

python-apt

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

python-debian

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

ruby-debian 718389

<!>

(./)

{i}

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

<!>

<!>

golang-pault-go-debian

<!>

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

{X}

{X}

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

deb-gview 742892

<!>

{X}

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

lintian

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

dak

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

aptly

<!>

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

reprepro

<!>

{i}

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

emacs-goodies-el 718388

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

(./)

{X}

(./)

<!>

diffoscope

<!>

(./)

{i}

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

vim-scripts

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

zeroinstall-injector

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

appstream-generator

<!>

(./)

{i}

{i}

{i}

{i}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

dedup.debian.net

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

Debian Archive

<!>

{i}

{i}

{i}

<!>

<!>

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

<!>

Ubuntu Archive

<!>

{X}

{i}

(./)

<!>

<!>

{X}

(./)

(./)

{X}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

apt-zip 718376

<!>

(./)

{i}

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

(./)

{X}

{X}

{X}

{X}

<!>

<!>

fossology

{i}

{i}

{i}

{i}

{i}

{i}

{X}

{X}

{X}

{i}

{X}

{X}

{i}

{i}

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