# Dpkg > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dpkg > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dpkg.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dpkg > Source revision: 1354812123 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Package management system}} {{Tone|date=January 2025}} {{lowercase title}} {{Infobox software | title = dpkg | logo = Dpkg-logo.png | logo caption = | logo size = 200px | logo alt = | screenshot = | caption = | screenshot size = | screenshot alt = | collapsible = | author = [Ian Murdock](/source/Ian_Murdock) | developer = The [Debian](/source/Debian) Project | released = {{Start date and age|1994|01|df=yes}} | discontinued = | latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q305892|P348|P548=Q2804309}} | latest release date = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q305892|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}|df=yes}} | latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q305892|P348|P548=Q3295609}} | latest preview date = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q305892|P348|P548=Q3295609|P577}}|df=yes}} | programming language = [C](/source/C_(programming_language)), [C++](/source/C%2B%2B), [Perl](/source/Perl){{cite web |url=https://git.dpkg.org/cgit/dpkg/dpkg.git |title=dpkg on git.dpkg.org |publisher=Dpkg Developers |date=2018-07-15 |access-date=2018-07-15}} | operating system = [Unix-like](/source/Unix-like) | platform = | size = | language = | language count = 42 | language footnote = {{cite web |url=https://git.dpkg.org/cgit/dpkg/dpkg.git/tree/po/LINGUAS |title=po/LINGUAS |publisher=Dpkg Developers |date=2022-11-22}} | genre = [Package manager](/source/Package_manager) | license = [GPL](/source/GNU_General_Public_License)v2 | alexa = | standard = | AsOf = }} '''dpkg''' is the [software](/source/software) at the base of the package management system in the [free](/source/free_software) operating system [Debian](/source/Debian) and its many [derivatives](/source/Debian_family). dpkg is used to install, remove, and provide information about [.deb](/source/deb_(file_format)) [packages](/source/Package_manager). dpkg (Debian Package) itself is a low-level tool. Advanced Package Tool ([APT](/source/APT_(software))), a higher-level tool, is more commonly used than dpkg as it can fetch packages from remote locations and deal with complex package relations, such as dependency resolution. Frontends for APT, like [aptitude](/source/aptitude_(software)) ([ncurses](/source/ncurses)) and [synaptic](/source/synaptic_(software)) ([GTK](/source/GTK)), are used for their friendlier interfaces. The Debian package ''dpkg'' provides the dpkg program, and several other programs needed for [runtime](/source/Execution_(computing)) functioning of the packaging system, including dpkg-deb, dpkg-split, dpkg-query, dpkg-statoverride, dpkg-divert and dpkg-trigger.{{cite web|title=dpkg package file list|url=https://packages.debian.org/sid/amd64/dpkg/filelist|publisher=Debian project|access-date=2015-03-09}} It also includes the programs such as update-alternatives and start-stop-daemon. The Debian package "dpkg-dev" includes the many build tools described below. ==History== The first attempt at a package management system for Linux was possibly the development of Stop[Alop](/source/alopecia) by Greg Wettstein at the Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, North Dakota. It provided inspiration to create dpkg.{{cite magazine| url=https://linuxjournal.com/article/2804 |title=Linux in the Trenches|magazine=Linux Journal}}[https://www.dpkg.org/history/ancient/README The dpkg shell implementation]{{cite web |url=http://www.verycomputer.com/195_d4343843af185e14_1.htm |title=StopAlop 0.6 packaging/Installation facility available}} dpkg was originally created by [Ian Murdock](/source/Ian_Murdock) in January 1994 as a [Shell script](/source/Shell_script).{{cite web|title=dpkg Shell implementation|url=https://www.dpkg.org/history/ancient/README|publisher=Dpkg Developers|access-date=2017-08-30}} [Matt Welsh](/source/Matt_Welsh_(computer_scientist)), Carl Streeter and Ian Murdock then rewrote it in [Perl](/source/Perl),{{cite web|title=dpkg perl implementation|url=https://git.dpkg.org/cgit/dpkg/dpkg.git/plain/scripts/perl-dpkg.pl?id=1b80fb16c22db72457d7a456ffbf1f70a8dfc0a5|publisher=git (Dpkg Developers)|access-date=2015-03-09}} and then later the main part was rewritten in [C](/source/C_(programming_language)) by [Ian Jackson](/source/Ian_Jackson_(computer_programmer)) in 1994.{{cite web|title=dpkg C implementation|url=https://git.dpkg.org/cgit/dpkg/dpkg.git/plain/main/main.c?id=1b80fb16c22db72457d7a456ffbf1f70a8dfc0a5|publisher=git (Dpkg Developers)|access-date=2015-03-09}}{{cite web|last1=Akkerman|first1=Wichert|year=2001|title=dpkg history|url=http://www.wiggy.net/presentations/2001/DpkgEvolution/html/mgp00005.html|access-date=2017-08-29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207151202/http://www.wiggy.net/presentations/2001/DpkgEvolution/html/mgp00005.html|archive-date=2015-02-07}} The name ''dpkg'' was originally a shortening of ''Debian package'', but the meaning of that phrase has evolved significantly, as dpkg the software is orthogonal to the [deb package format](/source/deb_(file_format)) and the Debian Policy Manual which defines how Debian packages behave in Debian. ==Development tools== dpkg-dev contains a series of development tools needed to unpack, build, and upload Debian [source code](/source/source_code) packages.{{cite web|title=dpkg-dev package file list|url=https://packages.debian.org/sid/amd64/dpkg-dev/filelist|publisher=Debian project|access-date=2015-03-09}} These include: * ''dpkg-source'' packs and unpacks the source files of a Debian package. * ''dpkg-gencontrol'' reads the information from an unpacked Debian tree source and generates a binary package control package, creating an entry for this in Debian/files. * ''dpkg-shlibdeps'' calculates the dependencies of runs with respect to libraries. * ''dpkg-genchanges'' reads the information from an unpacked Debian tree source that once constructed creates a control file (.changes). * ''dpkg-buildpackage'' is a control script that can be used to construct the package automatically. * ''dpkg-distaddfile'' adds a file input to debian/files. * ''dpkg-parsechangelog'' reads the changes file (changelog) of an unpacked Debian tree source and creates a conveniently prepared output with the information for those changes. ==dselect== The dpkg source package also contains ''dselect'', a frontend software.{{cite book |last1=Siever |first1=Ellen |year=2005 |display-authors=etal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uwNVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA620 |title=Linux in a Nutshell |publisher=O'Reilly |isbn=9780596529499 |page=620}} ==install-info== The install-info program used to be included in the dpkg software package, but was later removed{{cite web|last1=Jover|first1=Guillem|date=May 2013|title=Removal of install-info from dpkg|url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2013/05/msg00243.html|publisher=Debian project|access-date=2015-03-09}} as it became developed and distributed separately, as part of [GNU Texinfo](/source/GNU_Texinfo).{{cite web|title=GNU Texinfo project|url=https://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/|publisher=GNU project|access-date=9 March 2015}} =={{Anchor|wpkg}}wpkg== ''wpkg'' was created as a dpkg look-alike that would run under the [Microsoft Windows](/source/Microsoft_Windows) operating system. It retained [.deb](/source/.deb) file format compatibility.{{cite web|url=https://unigw.sourceforge.net/|title=A Unix Packager For MS-Windows Systems|publisher=Alexis Wilke |access-date=2018-11-05}} It subsequently evolved to include functionality similar to parts of the [APT](/source/APT_(software)) suite, improved repository management, distribution management and was ported to [Linux](/source/Linux) and [Unix-like](/source/Unix-like) systems.{{cite web|url=https://unigw.sourceforge.net/documentation/build-system-wpkg.html|title=A Build System with wpkg|publisher=Alexis Wilke |date=2013-11-06|access-date=2013-08-28}}{{cite web|url=https://unigw.sourceforge.net/documentation/wpkg/wpkg-repository.html|title=wpkg --repository ...|publisher=Alexis Wilke |date=2012-12-05|access-date=2013-08-28}} {{As of|March 2024}}, the most recent release of the software was in 2015. ==See also== {{Portal|Linux|Free and open-source software}} * [Alien (file converter)](/source/Alien_(file_converter)) * Advanced Package Tool ([APT (software)](/source/APT_(software))) * [Deb (file format)](/source/Deb_(file_format)) * [Debian build toolchain](/source/Debian_build_toolchain) * [Package manager](/source/Package_manager) * [RPM Package Manager](/source/RPM_Package_Manager) (RPM), for [Red Hat Linux](/source/Red_Hat_Linux)-derived systems * [List of installation software](/source/List_of_installation_software) * [List of software package management systems](/source/List_of_software_package_management_systems) ==References== {{Reflist|2|refs= {{cite book |last1=Fox |first1=Richard |date=7 October 2014 |title=Linux with Operating System Concepts |section=13.4.3: APT |page=544 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1482235890}} }} ==External links== * [https://manpages.debian.org/dpkg.1 Manual page on the Debian Project website] * [https://lists.debian.org/debian-dpkg/ Mailing list] * [https://unigw.sourceforge.net/documentation/wpkg.html wpkg manual page] {{Package management systems}} {{Debian}} Category:Dpkg Category:Free software programmed in C Category:Software using the GNU General Public License --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dpkg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dpkg) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dpkg?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.