Dpkg — Mediated Wiki

{{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 | developer = The Debian Project | released = {{Start date and age|1994|01|df=yes}}<ref name="first-release"/> | 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, C++, Perl<ref>{{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}}</ref> | operating system = Unix-like | platform = | size = | language = | language count = 42 | language footnote = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://git.dpkg.org/cgit/dpkg/dpkg.git/tree/po/LINGUAS |title=po/LINGUAS |publisher=Dpkg Developers |date=2022-11-22}}</ref> | genre = Package manager | license = GPLv2 | alexa = | standard = | AsOf = }}

'''dpkg''' is the software at the base of the package management system in the free operating system Debian and its many derivatives. <code>dpkg</code> is used to install, remove, and provide information about .deb packages.

<code>dpkg</code> (Debian Package) itself is a low-level tool. Advanced Package Tool (APT), a higher-level tool, is more commonly used than <code>dpkg</code> as it can fetch packages from remote locations and deal with complex package relations, such as dependency resolution. Frontends for APT, like aptitude (ncurses) and synaptic (GTK), are used for their friendlier interfaces.

The Debian package ''dpkg'' provides the <code>dpkg</code> program, and several other programs needed for runtime functioning of the packaging system, including <code>dpkg-deb</code>, <code>dpkg-split</code>, <code>dpkg-query</code>, <code>dpkg-statoverride</code>, <code>dpkg-divert</code> and <code>dpkg-trigger</code>.<ref>{{cite web|title=dpkg package file list|url=https://packages.debian.org/sid/amd64/dpkg/filelist|publisher=Debian project|access-date=2015-03-09}}</ref> It also includes the programs such as <code>update-alternatives</code> and <code>start-stop-daemon</code>. 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 StopAlop by Greg Wettstein at the Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, North Dakota. It provided inspiration to create dpkg.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://linuxjournal.com/article/2804 |title=Linux in the Trenches|magazine=Linux Journal}}</ref><ref>[https://www.dpkg.org/history/ancient/README The dpkg shell implementation]</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.verycomputer.com/195_d4343843af185e14_1.htm |title=StopAlop 0.6 packaging/Installation facility available}}</ref> dpkg was originally created by Ian Murdock in January 1994 as a Shell script.<ref name="first-release">{{cite web|title=dpkg Shell implementation|url=https://www.dpkg.org/history/ancient/README|publisher=Dpkg Developers|access-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> Matt Welsh, Carl Streeter and Ian Murdock then rewrote it in Perl,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and then later the main part was rewritten in C by Ian Jackson in 1994.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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 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 packages.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==install-info==

The <code>install-info</code> program used to be included in the dpkg software package, but was later removed<ref>{{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}}</ref> as it became developed and distributed separately, as part of GNU Texinfo.<ref>{{cite web|title=GNU Texinfo project|url=https://www.gnu.org/software/texinfo/|publisher=GNU project|access-date=9 March 2015}}</ref>

=={{Anchor|wpkg}}wpkg==

''wpkg'' was created as a dpkg look-alike that would run under the Microsoft Windows operating system.<ref name="Fox-book"/> It retained .deb file format compatibility.<ref name="wpkg-home">{{cite web|url=https://unigw.sourceforge.net/|title=A Unix Packager For MS-Windows Systems|publisher=Alexis Wilke |access-date=2018-11-05}}</ref> It subsequently evolved to include functionality similar to parts of the APT suite, improved repository management, distribution management and was ported to Linux and Unix-like systems.<ref name="wpkg-doc-build">{{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}}</ref><ref name="wpkg-doc-repo">{{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}}</ref> {{As of|March 2024}}, the most recent release of the software was in 2015.<ref name="wpkg-doc-build"/>

==See also== {{Portal|Linux|Free and open-source software}} * Alien (file converter) * Advanced Package Tool (APT (software)) * Deb (file format) * Debian build toolchain * Package manager * RPM Package Manager (RPM), for Red Hat Linux-derived systems * List of installation software * List of software package management systems

==References== {{Reflist|2|refs= <ref name="Fox-book">{{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}}</ref> }}

==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]

Category:Dpkg Category:Free software programmed in C Category:Software using the GNU General Public License