View source for Dpkg

{{Short description|Package management system}}
{{Tone|date=January 2025}}
{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox software
| title = dpkg
| logo = <!-- File name only -->
| logo caption = 
| logo size = 
| logo alt = 
| screenshot = <!-- File name only -->
| 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 = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q305892|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q305892|P348|P548=Q3295609}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q305892|P348|P548=Q3295609|P577}}
| programming language = [[C (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 = [[GNU General Public License|GPL]]v2
| alexa = 
| website = {{URL|https://wiki.debian.org/Teams/Dpkg}}
| standard = 
| AsOf = 
}}
'''dpkg''' is the [[software]] at the base of the package management system in the [[free software|free]] operating system [[Debian]] and its many [[Debian family|derivatives]]. <code>dpkg</code> is used to install, remove, and provide information about [[deb (file format)|.deb]] [[Package manager|packages]].

<code>dpkg</code> (Debian Package) itself is a low-level tool. Advanced Package Tool ([[APT (software)|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 (software)|aptitude]] ([[ncurses]]) and [[synaptic (software)|synaptic]] ([[GTK]]), are used for their friendlier interfaces.

The Debian package ''dpkg'' provides the <code>dpkg</code> program, and several other programs needed for [[Execution (computing)#Runtime|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 Stop[[alopecia|Alop]] 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 (computer scientist)|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 (programming language)|C]] by [[Ian Jackson (computer programmer)|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 (file format)|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 (software)|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|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==
* {{Official website|https://wiki.debian.org/Teams/Dpkg}}
* [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]]