$ Linux Command

Packages

dpkg-deb

Pack, unpack, and inspect Debian package archives.

debianpackagedpkgarchiveinspect

Additional Notes

dpkg-deb is the low-level tool for manipulating .deb package archives. It can create, unpack, extract, and inspect the contents and metadata of Debian binary packages. It works directly on .deb files without consulting the dpkg database.

While dpkg manages installed packages, dpkg-deb handles the archive format itself. It is used to examine package contents, extract files from a package, or build a package during development. Most users interact with dpkg-deb indirectly through dpkg or higher-level tools like apt.

Syntax

dpkg-deb [options] command archive

Parameters

  • command: The operation to perform (e.g., --info, --contents, --extract, --build).
  • archive: Path to a .deb file or, for --build, a directory containing a DEBIAN control subdirectory.

Common Commands

  • -I, --info archive [control-fields]: Show package metadata (name, version, description, dependencies).
  • -c, --contents archive: List the files contained in the package.
  • -x, --extract archive directory: Extract the package contents into the specified directory.
  • -X, --vextract archive directory: Extract and show filenames as they are extracted.
  • -e, --control archive directory: Extract control information (maintainer scripts, control file) into a directory.
  • -R, --raw-extract archive directory: Extract both files and control information together.
  • -b, --build directory archive: Build a .deb package from a directory tree.
  • -W, --show archive: Show information using a configurable output format.
  • --fsys-tarfile archive: Extract the filesystem tarfile from the archive without decompression.

Common Options

  • -z level: Set the compression level when building (0-9, default is 9).
  • -Z type: Set the compression type (gzip, xz, zstd, none).
  • -S: Preserve file status when extracting.
  • --uniform-compression: Use the same compression type for all members.
  • --deb-format format: Specify output archive format (2.0 or 3.0).

Examples

dpkg-deb -I package.deb

Show the control information (metadata) of a Debian package.

dpkg-deb -c package.deb

List all files inside a .deb archive.

dpkg-deb -x package.deb ./extracted

Extract the package files into the ./extracted directory.

dpkg-deb -b ./mypackage mypackage.deb

Build a .deb from a directory containing a DEBIAN/ control directory.

Practical Notes

  • To extract only the control scripts (preinst, postinst, prerm, postrm), use dpkg-deb -e.
  • When building packages, the source directory must contain a DEBIAN/control file at minimum.
  • Use dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile package.deb | tar t for the full tarfile listing.
  • Installed packages can be examined with dpkg --contents and dpkg --info instead of using the .deb file directly.