dpkg Help On Ubuntu Hardy Heron

dpkg Help On Ubuntu Hardy Heron

This post is part of a series on How To Install Programs In Ubuntu Hardy Heron.

Ubuntu is based upon Linux and Debian. Debian packages are files that can be software or components for the operating system packaged in such a way that they can installed or removed from the operating system. See the post on aptitude also.

dpkg is a tool to install, build, remove and manage Debian packages.

The primary and more user-friendly front-end for dpkg is dselect. dpkg itself is controlled entirely via command line parameters, which consist of exactly one action and zero or more options.

The action-parameter tells dpkg what to do and options control the behavior of the action in some way.

NOTE: Use `dselect’ or `aptitude‘ for user-friendly package management.

Normally one would use Applications > Add/Remove… to install and remove programs. Sometimes though one has to go beyond that.

Like many of the commands you use in the terminal you can find HELP by typing the command and then –help.

Here is an example:

Applications > Accessories > Terminal

We typed

dpkg --help

Then pressed the Enter key on the keyboard
Here is what we saw:

dpkg –help

Usage: dpkg [<option> ...] <command>

Commands:
  -i|--install       <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <directory> ...
  --unpack           <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <directory> ...
  -A|--record-avail  <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <directory> ...
  --configure|--triggers-only <package> ... | -a|--pending
  -r|--remove        <package> ... | -a|--pending
  -P|--purge         <package> ... | -a|--pending
  --get-selections [<pattern> ...] Get list of selections to stdout.
  --set-selections                 Set package selections from stdin.
  --clear-selections               Deselect every non-essential package.
  --update-avail <Packages-file>   Replace available packages info.
  --merge-avail <Packages-file>    Merge with info from file.
  --clear-avail                    Erase existing available info.
  --forget-old-unavail             Forget uninstalled unavailable pkgs.
  -s|--status <package> ...        Display package status details.
  -p|--print-avail <package> ...   Display available version details.
  -L|--listfiles <package> ...     List files `owned' by package(s).
  -l|--list [<pattern> ...]        List packages concisely.
  -S|--search <pattern> ...        Find package(s) owning file(s).
  -C|--audit                       Check for broken package(s).
  --print-architecture             Print dpkg architecture.
  --compare-versions <a> <op> <b>  Compare version numbers - see below.
  --force-help                     Show help on forcing.
  -Dh|--debug=help                 Show help on debugging.

  -h|--help                        Show this help message.
  --version                        Show the version.
  --license|--licence              Show the copyright licensing terms.

Use dpkg -b|--build|-c|--contents|-e|--control|-I|--info|-f|--field|
 -x|--extract|-X|--vextract|--fsys-tarfile  on archives (type dpkg-deb --help).

For internal use: dpkg --assert-support-predepends | --predep-package |
  --assert-working-epoch | --assert-long-filenames | --assert-multi-conrep.

Options:
  --admindir=<directory>     Use <directory> instead of /var/lib/dpkg.
  --root=<directory>         Install on a different root directory.
  --instdir=<directory>      Change installation dir without changing admin dir.
  -O|--selected-only         Skip packages not selected for install/upgrade.
  -E|--skip-same-version     Skip packages whose same version is installed.
  -G|--refuse-downgrade      Skip packages with earlier version than installed.
  -B|--auto-deconfigure      Install even if it would break some other package.
  [--no-]triggers            Skip or force consequential trigger processing.
  --no-debsig                Do not try to verify package signatures.
  --no-act|--dry-run|--simulate
                             Just say what we would do - don't do it.
  -D|--debug=<octal>         Enable debugging (see -Dhelp or --debug=help).
  --status-fd <n>            Send status change updates to file descriptor <n>.
  --log=<filename>           Log status changes and actions to <filename>.
  --ignore-depends=<package>,...
                             Ignore dependencies involving <package>.
  --force-...                Override problems (see --force-help).
  --no-force-...|--refuse-...
                             Stop when problems encountered.
  --abort-after <n>          Abort after encountering <n> errors.

Comparison operators for --compare-versions are:
  lt le eq ne ge gt       (treat empty version as earlier than any version);
  lt-nl le-nl ge-nl gt-nl (treat empty version as later than any version);
  < << <= = >= >> >       (only for compatibility with control file syntax).

Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management.

This post is part of a series on How To Install Programs In Ubuntu Hardy Heron.