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<title>Debian Policy Manual - Binary packages</title>

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<link href="ch-scope.html" rel="chapter" title="1 About this manual">
<link href="ch-archive.html" rel="chapter" title="2 The Debian Archive">
<link href="ch-binary.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Binary packages">
<link href="ch-source.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Source packages">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Control files and their fields">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html" rel="chapter" title="6 Package maintainer scripts and installation procedure">
<link href="ch-relationships.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Declaring relationships between packages">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html" rel="chapter" title="8 Shared libraries">
<link href="ch-opersys.html" rel="chapter" title="9 The Operating System">
<link href="ch-files.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Files">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customized programs">
<link href="ch-docs.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Documentation">
<link href="ap-pkg-scope.html" rel="appendix" title="A Introduction and scope of these appendices">
<link href="ap-pkg-binarypkg.html" rel="appendix" title="B Binary packages (from old Packaging Manual)">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html" rel="appendix" title="C Source packages (from old Packaging Manual)">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html" rel="appendix" title="D Control files and their fields (from old Packaging Manual)">
<link href="ap-pkg-conffiles.html" rel="appendix" title="E Configuration file handling (from old Packaging Manual)">
<link href="ap-pkg-alternatives.html" rel="appendix" title="F Alternative versions of an interface - update-alternatives (from old Packaging Manual)">
<link href="ap-pkg-diversions.html" rel="appendix" title="G Diversions - overriding a package's version of a file (from old Packaging Manual)">
<link href="ch-scope.html#s1.1" rel="section" title="1.1 Scope">
<link href="ch-scope.html#s1.2" rel="section" title="1.2 New versions of this document">
<link href="ch-scope.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="1.3 Authors and Maintainers">
<link href="ch-scope.html#s-related" rel="section" title="1.4 Related documents">
<link href="ch-scope.html#s-definitions" rel="section" title="1.5 Definitions">
<link href="ch-archive.html#s-dfsg" rel="section" title="2.1 The Debian Free Software Guidelines">
<link href="ch-archive.html#s-sections" rel="section" title="2.2 Archive areas">
<link href="ch-archive.html#s-pkgcopyright" rel="section" title="2.3 Copyright considerations">
<link href="ch-archive.html#s-subsections" rel="section" title="2.4 Sections">
<link href="ch-archive.html#s-priorities" rel="section" title="2.5 Priorities">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 The package name">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-versions" rel="section" title="3.2 The version of a package">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-maintainer" rel="section" title="3.3 The maintainer of a package">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-descriptions" rel="section" title="3.4 The description of a package">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-dependencies" rel="section" title="3.5 Dependencies">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-virtual_pkg" rel="section" title="3.6 Virtual packages">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s3.7" rel="section" title="3.7 Base system">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s3.8" rel="section" title="3.8 Essential packages">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="3.9 Maintainer Scripts">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-standardsversion" rel="section" title="4.1 Standards conformance">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-pkg-relations" rel="section" title="4.2 Package relationships">
<link href="ch-source.html#s4.3" rel="section" title="4.3 Changes to the upstream sources">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-dpkgchangelog" rel="section" title="4.4 Debian changelog: debian/changelog">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-dpkgcopyright" rel="section" title="4.5 Copyright: debian/copyright">
<link href="ch-source.html#s4.6" rel="section" title="4.6 Error trapping in makefiles">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-timestamps" rel="section" title="4.7 Time Stamps">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-restrictions" rel="section" title="4.8 Restrictions on objects in source packages">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-debianrules" rel="section" title="4.9 Main building script: debian/rules">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-substvars" rel="section" title="4.10 Variable substitutions: debian/substvars">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-debianwatch" rel="section" title="4.11 Optional upstream source location: debian/watch">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-debianfiles" rel="section" title="4.12 Generated files list: debian/files">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-embeddedfiles" rel="section" title="4.13 Convenience copies of code">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-readmesource" rel="section" title="4.14 Source package handling: debian/README.source">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-controlsyntax" rel="section" title="5.1 Syntax of control files">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-sourcecontrolfiles" rel="section" title="5.2 Source package control files -- debian/control">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-binarycontrolfiles" rel="section" title="5.3 Binary package control files -- DEBIAN/control">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-debiansourcecontrolfiles" rel="section" title="5.4 Debian source control files -- .dsc">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-debianchangesfiles" rel="section" title="5.5 Debian changes files -- .changes">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-controlfieldslist" rel="section" title="5.6 List of fields">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s5.7" rel="section" title="5.7 User-defined fields">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html#s6.1" rel="section" title="6.1 Introduction to package maintainer scripts">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html#s-idempotency" rel="section" title="6.2 Maintainer scripts idempotency">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html#s-controllingterminal" rel="section" title="6.3 Controlling terminal for maintainer scripts">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html#s-exitstatus" rel="section" title="6.4 Exit status">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html#s-mscriptsinstact" rel="section" title="6.5 Summary of ways maintainer scripts are called">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html#s-unpackphase" rel="section" title="6.6 Details of unpack phase of installation or upgrade">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html#s-configdetails" rel="section" title="6.7 Details of configuration">
<link href="ch-maintainerscripts.html#s-removedetails" rel="section" title="6.8 Details of removal and/or configuration purging">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s-depsyntax" rel="section" title="7.1 Syntax of relationship fields">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s-binarydeps" rel="section" title="7.2 Binary Dependencies - Depends, Recommends, Suggests, Enhances, Pre-Depends">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s-breaks" rel="section" title="7.3 Packages which break other packages - Breaks">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s-conflicts" rel="section" title="7.4 Conflicting binary packages - Conflicts">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.5 Virtual packages - Provides">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s-replaces" rel="section" title="7.6 Overwriting files and replacing packages - Replaces">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s-sourcebinarydeps" rel="section" title="7.7 Relationships between source and binary packages - Build-Depends, Build-Depends-Indep, Build-Conflicts, Build-Conflicts-Indep">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-sharedlibs-runtime" rel="section" title="8.1 Run-time shared libraries">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-sharedlibs-support-files" rel="section" title="8.2 Shared library support files">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-sharedlibs-static" rel="section" title="8.3 Static libraries">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-sharedlibs-dev" rel="section" title="8.4 Development files">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-sharedlibs-intradeps" rel="section" title="8.5 Dependencies between the packages of the same library">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-sharedlibs-shlibdeps" rel="section" title="8.6 Dependencies between the library and other packages - the shlibs system">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.1" rel="section" title="9.1 File system hierarchy">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.2" rel="section" title="9.2 Users and groups">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-sysvinit" rel="section" title="9.3 System run levels and init.d scripts">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.4" rel="section" title="9.4 Console messages from init.d scripts">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-cron-jobs" rel="section" title="9.5 Cron jobs">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-menus" rel="section" title="9.6 Menus">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-mime" rel="section" title="9.7 Multimedia handlers">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.8" rel="section" title="9.8 Keyboard configuration">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.9" rel="section" title="9.9 Environment variables">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-doc-base" rel="section" title="9.10 Registering Documents using doc-base">
<link href="ch-files.html#s-binaries" rel="section" title="10.1 Binaries">
<link href="ch-files.html#s-libraries" rel="section" title="10.2 Libraries">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.3" rel="section" title="10.3 Shared libraries">
<link href="ch-files.html#s-scripts" rel="section" title="10.4 Scripts">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.5" rel="section" title="10.5 Symbolic links">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.6" rel="section" title="10.6 Device files">
<link href="ch-files.html#s-config-files" rel="section" title="10.7 Configuration files">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.8" rel="section" title="10.8 Log files">
<link href="ch-files.html#s-permissions-owners" rel="section" title="10.9 Permissions and owners">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s-arch-spec" rel="section" title="11.1 Architecture specification strings">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.2" rel="section" title="11.2 Daemons">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.3" rel="section" title="11.3 Using pseudo-ttys and modifying wtmp, utmp and lastlog">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.4" rel="section" title="11.4 Editors and pagers">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s-web-appl" rel="section" title="11.5 Web servers and applications">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s-mail-transport-agents" rel="section" title="11.6 Mail transport, delivery and user agents">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.7" rel="section" title="11.7 News system configuration">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.8" rel="section" title="11.8 Programs for the X Window System">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s-perl" rel="section" title="11.9 Perl programs and modules">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s-emacs" rel="section" title="11.10 Emacs lisp programs">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.11" rel="section" title="11.11 Games">
<link href="ch-docs.html#s12.1" rel="section" title="12.1 Manual pages">
<link href="ch-docs.html#s12.2" rel="section" title="12.2 Info documents">
<link href="ch-docs.html#s12.3" rel="section" title="12.3 Additional documentation">
<link href="ch-docs.html#s12.4" rel="section" title="12.4 Preferred documentation formats">
<link href="ch-docs.html#s-copyrightfile" rel="section" title="12.5 Copyright information">
<link href="ch-docs.html#s12.6" rel="section" title="12.6 Examples">
<link href="ch-docs.html#s-changelogs" rel="section" title="12.7 Changelog files">
<link href="ap-pkg-binarypkg.html#s-pkg-bincreating" rel="section" title="B.1 Creating package files - dpkg-deb">
<link href="ap-pkg-binarypkg.html#s-pkg-controlarea" rel="section" title="B.2 Package control information files">
<link href="ap-pkg-binarypkg.html#s-pkg-controlfile" rel="section" title="B.3 The main control information file: control">
<link href="ap-pkg-binarypkg.html#sB.4" rel="section" title="B.4 Time Stamps">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-sourcetools" rel="section" title="C.1 Tools for processing source packages">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-sourcetree" rel="section" title="C.2 The Debian package source tree">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-sourcearchives" rel="section" title="C.3 Source packages as archives">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#sC.4" rel="section" title="C.4 Unpacking a Debian source package without dpkg-source">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html#sD.1" rel="section" title="D.1 Syntax of control files">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html#sD.2" rel="section" title="D.2 List of fields">
<link href="ap-pkg-conffiles.html#sE.1" rel="section" title="E.1 Automatic handling of configuration files by dpkg">
<link href="ap-pkg-conffiles.html#sE.2" rel="section" title="E.2 Fully-featured maintainer script configuration handling">
<link href="ch-archive.html#s-main" rel="subsection" title="2.2.1 The main archive area">
<link href="ch-archive.html#s-contrib" rel="subsection" title="2.2.2 The contrib archive area">
<link href="ch-archive.html#s-non-free" rel="subsection" title="2.2.3 The non-free archive area">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 Version numbers based on dates">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-synopsis" rel="subsection" title="3.4.1 The single line synopsis">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-extendeddesc" rel="subsection" title="3.4.2 The extended description">
<link href="ch-binary.html#s-maintscriptprompt" rel="subsection" title="3.9.1 Prompting in maintainer scripts">
<link href="ch-source.html#s-debianrules-options" rel="subsection" title="4.9.1 debian/rules and DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Source" rel="subsection" title="5.6.1 Source">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Maintainer" rel="subsection" title="5.6.2 Maintainer">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Uploaders" rel="subsection" title="5.6.3 Uploaders">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Changed-By" rel="subsection" title="5.6.4 Changed-By">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Section" rel="subsection" title="5.6.5 Section">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Priority" rel="subsection" title="5.6.6 Priority">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Package" rel="subsection" title="5.6.7 Package">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Architecture" rel="subsection" title="5.6.8 Architecture">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Essential" rel="subsection" title="5.6.9 Essential">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s5.6.10" rel="subsection" title="5.6.10 Package interrelationship fields: Depends, Pre-Depends, Recommends, Suggests, Breaks, Conflicts, Provides, Replaces, Enhances">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Standards-Version" rel="subsection" title="5.6.11 Standards-Version">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Version" rel="subsection" title="5.6.12 Version">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Description" rel="subsection" title="5.6.13 Description">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Distribution" rel="subsection" title="5.6.14 Distribution">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Date" rel="subsection" title="5.6.15 Date">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Format" rel="subsection" title="5.6.16 Format">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Urgency" rel="subsection" title="5.6.17 Urgency">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Changes" rel="subsection" title="5.6.18 Changes">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Binary" rel="subsection" title="5.6.19 Binary">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Installed-Size" rel="subsection" title="5.6.20 Installed-Size">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Files" rel="subsection" title="5.6.21 Files">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Closes" rel="subsection" title="5.6.22 Closes">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Homepage" rel="subsection" title="5.6.23 Homepage">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Checksums" rel="subsection" title="5.6.24 Checksums-Sha1 and Checksums-Sha256">
<link href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-DM-Upload-Allowed" rel="subsection" title="5.6.25 DM-Upload-Allowed">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s7.6.1" rel="subsection" title="7.6.1 Overwriting files in other packages">
<link href="ch-relationships.html#s7.6.2" rel="subsection" title="7.6.2 Replacing whole packages, forcing their removal">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-ldconfig" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 ldconfig">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s8.6.1" rel="subsection" title="8.6.1 The shlibs files present on the system">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s8.6.2" rel="subsection" title="8.6.2 How to use dpkg-shlibdeps and the shlibs files">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-shlibs" rel="subsection" title="8.6.3 The shlibs File Format">
<link href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s8.6.4" rel="subsection" title="8.6.4 Providing a shlibs file">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-fhs" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 File System Structure">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.1.2" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 Site-specific programs">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.1.3" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 The system-wide mail directory">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-fhs-run" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 /run and /run/lock">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.2.1" rel="subsection" title="9.2.1 Introduction">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.2.2" rel="subsection" title="9.2.2 UID and GID classes">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-/etc/init.d" rel="subsection" title="9.3.1 Introduction">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-writing-init" rel="subsection" title="9.3.2 Writing the scripts">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.3.3" rel="subsection" title="9.3.3 Interfacing with the initscript system">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.3.3.1" rel="subsection" title="9.3.3.1 Managing the links">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.3.3.2" rel="subsection" title="9.3.3.2 Running initscripts">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.3.4" rel="subsection" title="9.3.4 Boot-time initialization">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s9.3.5" rel="subsection" title="9.3.5 Example">
<link href="ch-opersys.html#s-cron-files" rel="subsection" title="9.5.1 Cron job file names">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.7.1" rel="subsection" title="10.7.1 Definitions">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.7.2" rel="subsection" title="10.7.2 Location">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.7.3" rel="subsection" title="10.7.3 Behavior">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.7.4" rel="subsection" title="10.7.4 Sharing configuration files">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.7.5" rel="subsection" title="10.7.5 User configuration files (&quot;dotfiles&quot;)">
<link href="ch-files.html#s10.9.1" rel="subsection" title="10.9.1 The use of dpkg-statoverride">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s-arch-wildcard-spec" rel="subsection" title="11.1.1 Architecture wildcards">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.8.1" rel="subsection" title="11.8.1 Providing X support and package priorities">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.8.2" rel="subsection" title="11.8.2 Packages providing an X server">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.8.3" rel="subsection" title="11.8.3 Packages providing a terminal emulator">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.8.4" rel="subsection" title="11.8.4 Packages providing a window manager">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.8.5" rel="subsection" title="11.8.5 Packages providing fonts">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s-appdefaults" rel="subsection" title="11.8.6 Application defaults files">
<link href="ch-customized-programs.html#s11.8.7" rel="subsection" title="11.8.7 Installation directory issues">
<link href="ch-docs.html#s-copyrightformat" rel="subsection" title="12.5.1 Machine-readable copyright information">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-dpkg-source" rel="subsection" title="C.1.1 dpkg-source - packs and unpacks Debian source packages">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-dpkg-buildpackage" rel="subsection" title="C.1.2 dpkg-buildpackage - overall package-building control script">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-dpkg-gencontrol" rel="subsection" title="C.1.3 dpkg-gencontrol - generates binary package control files">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-dpkg-shlibdeps" rel="subsection" title="C.1.4 dpkg-shlibdeps - calculates shared library dependencies">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-dpkg-distaddfile" rel="subsection" title="C.1.5 dpkg-distaddfile - adds a file to debian/files">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-dpkg-genchanges" rel="subsection" title="C.1.6 dpkg-genchanges - generates a .changes upload control file">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-dpkg-parsechangelog" rel="subsection" title="C.1.7 dpkg-parsechangelog - produces parsed representation of a changelog">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-dpkg-architecture" rel="subsection" title="C.1.8 dpkg-architecture - information about the build and host system">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-debianrules" rel="subsection" title="C.2.1 debian/rules - the main building script">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#s-pkg-srcsubstvars" rel="subsection" title="C.2.2 debian/substvars and variable substitutions">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#sC.2.3" rel="subsection" title="C.2.3 debian/files">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#sC.2.4" rel="subsection" title="C.2.4 debian/tmp">
<link href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html#sC.4.1" rel="subsection" title="C.4.1 Restrictions on objects in source packages">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html#s-pkg-f-Filename" rel="subsection" title="D.2.1 Filename and MSDOS-Filename">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html#s-pkg-f-Size" rel="subsection" title="D.2.2 Size and MD5sum">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html#s-pkg-f-Status" rel="subsection" title="D.2.3 Status">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html#s-pkg-f-Config-Version" rel="subsection" title="D.2.4 Config-Version">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html#s-pkg-f-Conffiles" rel="subsection" title="D.2.5 Conffiles">
<link href="ap-pkg-controlfields.html#sD.2.6" rel="subsection" title="D.2.6 Obsolete fields">

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</p>

<hr>

<h1>
Debian Policy Manual
<br>Chapter 3 - Binary packages
</h1>

<hr>

<p>
The Debian distribution is based on the Debian package management system,
called <code>dpkg</code>.  Thus, all packages in the Debian distribution must
be provided in the <samp>.deb</samp> file format.
</p>

<p>
A <samp>.deb</samp> package contains two sets of files: a set of files to
install on the system when the package is installed, and a set of files that
provide additional metadata about the package or which are executed when the
package is installed or removed.  This second set of files is called
<em>control information files</em>.  Among those files are the package
maintainer scripts and <code>control</code>, the <a
href="ch-controlfields.html#s-binarycontrolfiles">binary package control
file</a> that contains the control fields for the package.  Other control
information files include <a
href="ch-sharedlibs.html#s-sharedlibs-shlibdeps">the <code>shlibs</code>
file</a> used to store shared library dependency information and the
<code>conffiles</code> file that lists the package's configuration files
(described in <a href="ch-files.html#s-config-files">Configuration files,
Section 10.7</a>).
</p>

<p>
There is unfortunately a collision of terminology here between control
information files and files in the Debian control file format.  Throughout this
document, a <em>control file</em> refers to a file in the Debian control file
format.  These files are documented in <a href="ch-controlfields.html">Control
files and their fields, Chapter 5</a>.  Only files referred to specifically as
<em>control information files</em> are the files included in the control
information file member of the <code>.deb</code> file format used by binary
packages.  Most control information files are not in the Debian control file
format.
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s3.1"></a>3.1 The package name</h2>

<p>
Every package must have a name that's unique within the Debian archive.
</p>

<p>
The package name is included in the control field <samp>Package</samp>, the
format of which is described in <a
href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Package"><samp>Package</samp>, Section
5.6.7</a>.  The package name is also included as a part of the file name of the
<samp>.deb</samp> file.
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s-versions"></a>3.2 The version of a package</h2>

<p>
Every package has a version number recorded in its <samp>Version</samp> control
file field, described in <a
href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Version"><samp>Version</samp>, Section
5.6.12</a>.
</p>

<p>
The package management system imposes an ordering on version numbers, so that
it can tell whether packages are being up- or downgraded and so that package
system front end applications can tell whether a package it finds available is
newer than the one installed on the system.  The version number format has the
most significant parts (as far as comparison is concerned) at the beginning.
</p>

<p>
If an upstream package has problematic version numbers they should be converted
to a sane form for use in the <samp>Version</samp> field.
</p>

<hr>

<h3><a name="s3.2.1"></a>3.2.1 Version numbers based on dates</h3>

<p>
In general, Debian packages should use the same version numbers as the upstream
sources.  However, upstream version numbers based on some date formats
(sometimes used for development or &quot;snapshot&quot; releases) will not be
ordered correctly by the package management software.  For example,
<code>dpkg</code> will consider &quot;96May01&quot; to be greater than
&quot;96Dec24&quot;.
</p>

<p>
To prevent having to use epochs for every new upstream version, the date-based
portion of any upstream version number should be given in a way that sorts
correctly: four-digit year first, followed by a two-digit numeric month,
followed by a two-digit numeric date, possibly with punctuation between the
components.
</p>

<p>
Native Debian packages (i.e., packages which have been written especially for
Debian) whose version numbers include dates should also follow these rules.  If
punctuation is desired between the date components, remember that hyphen
(<samp>-</samp>) cannot be used in native package versions.  Period
(<samp>.</samp>) is normally a good choice.
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s-maintainer"></a>3.3 The maintainer of a package</h2>

<p>
Every package must have a maintainer, except for orphaned packages as described
below.  The maintainer may be one person or a group of people reachable from a
common email address, such as a mailing list.  The maintainer is responsible
for maintaining the Debian packaging files, evaluating and responding
appropriately to reported bugs, uploading new versions of the package (either
directly or through a sponsor), ensuring that the package is placed in the
appropriate archive area and included in Debian releases as appropriate for the
stability and utility of the package, and requesting removal of the package
from the Debian distribution if it is no longer useful or maintainable.
</p>

<p>
The maintainer must be specified in the <samp>Maintainer</samp> control field
with their correct name and a working email address.  The email address given
in the <samp>Maintainer</samp> control field must accept mail from those role
accounts in Debian used to send automated mails regarding the package.  This
includes non-spam mail from the bug-tracking system, all mail from the Debian
archive maintenance software, and other role accounts or automated processes
that are commonly agreed on by the project.[<a href="footnotes.html#f7"
name="fr7">7</a>] If one person or team maintains several packages, they should
use the same form of their name and email address in the
<samp>Maintainer</samp> fields of those packages.
</p>

<p>
The format of the <samp>Maintainer</samp> control field is described in <a
href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Maintainer"><samp>Maintainer</samp>, Section
5.6.2</a>.
</p>

<p>
If the maintainer of the package is a team of people with a shared email
address, the <samp>Uploaders</samp> control field must be present and must
contain at least one human with their personal email address.  See <a
href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Uploaders"><samp>Uploaders</samp>, Section
5.6.3</a> for the syntax of that field.
</p>

<p>
An orphaned package is one with no current maintainer.  Orphaned packages
should have their <samp>Maintainer</samp> control field set to <samp>Debian QA
Group &lt;packages@qa.debian.org&gt;</samp>.  These packages are considered
maintained by the Debian project as a whole until someone else volunteers to
take over maintenance.[<a href="footnotes.html#f8" name="fr8">8</a>]
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s-descriptions"></a>3.4 The description of a package</h2>

<p>
Every Debian package must have a <samp>Description</samp> control field which
contains a synopsis and extended description of the package.  Technical
information about the format of the <samp>Description</samp> field is in <a
href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Description"><samp>Description</samp>, Section
5.6.13</a>.
</p>

<p>
The description should describe the package (the program) to a user (system
administrator) who has never met it before so that they have enough information
to decide whether they want to install it.  This description should not just be
copied verbatim from the program's documentation.
</p>

<p>
Put important information first, both in the synopsis and extended description.
Sometimes only the first part of the synopsis or of the description will be
displayed.  You can assume that there will usually be a way to see the whole
extended description.
</p>

<p>
The description should also give information about the significant dependencies
and conflicts between this package and others, so that the user knows why these
dependencies and conflicts have been declared.
</p>

<p>
Instructions for configuring or using the package should not be included (that
is what installation scripts, manual pages, info files, etc., are for).
Copyright statements and other administrivia should not be included either
(that is what the copyright file is for).
</p>

<hr>

<h3><a name="s-synopsis"></a>3.4.1 The single line synopsis</h3>

<p>
The single line synopsis should be kept brief - certainly under 80 characters.
</p>

<p>
Do not include the package name in the synopsis line.  The display software
knows how to display this already, and you do not need to state it.  Remember
that in many situations the user may only see the synopsis line - make it as
informative as you can.
</p>

<hr>

<h3><a name="s-extendeddesc"></a>3.4.2 The extended description</h3>

<p>
Do not try to continue the single line synopsis into the extended description.
This will not work correctly when the full description is displayed, and makes
no sense where only the summary (the single line synopsis) is available.
</p>

<p>
The extended description should describe what the package does and how it
relates to the rest of the system (in terms of, for example, which subsystem it
is which part of).
</p>

<p>
The description field needs to make sense to anyone, even people who have no
idea about any of the things the package deals with.[<a
href="footnotes.html#f9" name="fr9">9</a>]
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s-dependencies"></a>3.5 Dependencies</h2>

<p>
Every package must specify the dependency information about other packages that
are required for the first to work correctly.
</p>

<p>
For example, a dependency entry must be provided for any shared libraries
required by a dynamically-linked executable binary in a package.
</p>

<p>
Packages are not required to declare any dependencies they have on other
packages which are marked <samp>Essential</samp> (see below), and should not do
so unless they depend on a particular version of that package.[<a
href="footnotes.html#f10" name="fr10">10</a>]
</p>

<p>
Sometimes, unpacking one package requires that another package be first
unpacked <em>and</em> configured.  In this case, the depending package must
specify this dependency in the <samp>Pre-Depends</samp> control field.
</p>

<p>
You should not specify a <samp>Pre-Depends</samp> entry for a package before
this has been discussed on the <samp>debian-devel</samp> mailing list and a
consensus about doing that has been reached.
</p>

<p>
The format of the package interrelationship control fields is described in <a
href="ch-relationships.html">Declaring relationships between packages, Chapter
7</a>.
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s-virtual_pkg"></a>3.6 Virtual packages</h2>

<p>
Sometimes, there are several packages which offer more-or-less the same
functionality.  In this case, it's useful to define a <em>virtual package</em>
whose name describes that common functionality.  (The virtual packages only
exist logically, not physically; that's why they are called <em>virtual</em>.)
The packages with this particular function will then <em>provide</em> the
virtual package.  Thus, any other package requiring that function can simply
depend on the virtual package without having to specify all possible packages
individually.
</p>

<p>
All packages should use virtual package names where appropriate, and arrange to
create new ones if necessary.  They should not use virtual package names
(except privately, amongst a cooperating group of packages) unless they have
been agreed upon and appear in the list of virtual package names.  (See also <a
href="ch-relationships.html#s-virtual">Virtual packages -
<samp>Provides</samp>, Section 7.5</a>)
</p>

<p>
The latest version of the authoritative list of virtual package names can be
found in the <samp>debian-policy</samp> package.  It is also available from the
Debian web mirrors at <samp><code><a
href="http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/virtual-package-names-list.txt">/doc/packaging-manuals/virtual-package-names-list.txt</a></code></samp>.
</p>

<p>
The procedure for updating the list is described in the preface to the list.
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s3.7"></a>3.7 Base system</h2>

<p>
The <samp>base system</samp> is a minimum subset of the Debian system that is
installed before everything else on a new system.  Only very few packages are
allowed to form part of the base system, in order to keep the required disk
usage very small.
</p>

<p>
The base system consists of all those packages with priority
<samp>required</samp> or <samp>important</samp>.  Many of them will be tagged
<samp>essential</samp> (see below).
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s3.8"></a>3.8 Essential packages</h2>

<p>
Essential is defined as the minimal set of functionality that must be available
and usable on the system at all times, even when packages are in an
unconfigured (but unpacked) state.  Packages are tagged <samp>essential</samp>
for a system using the <samp>Essential</samp> control field.  The format of the
<samp>Essential</samp> control field is described in <a
href="ch-controlfields.html#s-f-Essential"><samp>Essential</samp>, Section
5.6.9</a>.
</p>

<p>
Since these packages cannot be easily removed (one has to specify an extra
<em>force option</em> to <code>dpkg</code> to do so), this flag must not be
used unless absolutely necessary.  A shared library package must not be tagged
<samp>essential</samp>; dependencies will prevent its premature removal, and we
need to be able to remove it when it has been superseded.
</p>

<p>
Since dpkg will not prevent upgrading of other packages while an
<samp>essential</samp> package is in an unconfigured state, all
<samp>essential</samp> packages must supply all of their core functionality
even when unconfigured.  If the package cannot satisfy this requirement it must
not be tagged as essential, and any packages depending on this package must
instead have explicit dependency fields as appropriate.
</p>

<p>
Maintainers should take great care in adding any programs, interfaces, or
functionality to <samp>essential</samp> packages.  Packages may assume that
functionality provided by <samp>essential</samp> packages is always available
without declaring explicit dependencies, which means that removing
functionality from the Essential set is very difficult and is almost never
done.  Any capability added to an <samp>essential</samp> package therefore
creates an obligation to support that capability as part of the Essential set
in perpetuity.
</p>

<p>
You must not tag any packages <samp>essential</samp> before this has been
discussed on the <samp>debian-devel</samp> mailing list and a consensus about
doing that has been reached.
</p>

<hr>

<h2><a name="s-maintscripts"></a>3.9 Maintainer Scripts</h2>

<p>
The package installation scripts should avoid producing output which is
unnecessary for the user to see and should rely on <code>dpkg</code> to stave
off boredom on the part of a user installing many packages.  This means,
amongst other things, using the <samp>--quiet</samp> option on
<code>install-info</code>.
</p>

<p>
Errors which occur during the execution of an installation script must be
checked and the installation must not continue after an error.
</p>

<p>
Note that in general <a href="ch-files.html#s-scripts">Scripts, Section
10.4</a> applies to package maintainer scripts, too.
</p>

<p>
You should not use <code>dpkg-divert</code> on a file belonging to another
package without consulting the maintainer of that package first.  When adding
or removing diversions, package maintainer scripts must provide the
<samp>--package</samp> flag to <code>dpkg-divert</code> and must not use
<samp>--local</samp>.
</p>

<p>
All packages which supply an instance of a common command name (or, in general,
filename) should generally use <code>update-alternatives</code>, so that they
may be installed together.  If <code>update-alternatives</code> is not used,
then each package must use <samp>Conflicts</samp> to ensure that other packages
are de-installed.  (In this case, it may be appropriate to specify a conflict
against earlier versions of something that previously did not use
<code>update-alternatives</code>; this is an exception to the usual rule that
versioned conflicts should be avoided.)
</p>

<hr>

<h3><a name="s-maintscriptprompt"></a>3.9.1 Prompting in maintainer scripts</h3>

<p>
Package maintainer scripts may prompt the user if necessary.  Prompting must be
done by communicating through a program, such as <code>debconf</code>, which
conforms to the Debian Configuration Management Specification, version 2 or
higher.
</p>

<p>
Packages which are essential, or which are dependencies of essential packages,
may fall back on another prompting method if no such interface is available
when they are executed.
</p>

<p>
The Debian Configuration Management Specification is included in the
<code>debconf_specification</code> files in the <code>debian-policy</code>
package.  It is also available from the Debian web mirrors at <samp><code><a
href="http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/debconf_specification.html">/doc/packaging-manuals/debconf_specification.html</a></code></samp>.
</p>

<p>
Packages which use the Debian Configuration Management Specification may
contain the additional control information files <code>config</code> and
<code>templates</code>.  <code>config</code> is an additional maintainer script
used for package configuration, and <code>templates</code> contains templates
used for user prompting.  The <code>config</code> script might be run before
the <code>preinst</code> script and before the package is unpacked or any of
its dependencies or pre-dependencies are satisfied.  Therefore it must work
using only the tools present in <em>essential</em> packages.[<a
href="footnotes.html#f11" name="fr11">11</a>]
</p>

<p>
Packages which use the Debian Configuration Management Specification must allow
for translation of their user-visible messages by using a gettext-based system
such as the one provided by the <code>po-debconf</code> package.
</p>

<p>
Packages should try to minimize the amount of prompting they need to do, and
they should ensure that the user will only ever be asked each question once.
This means that packages should try to use appropriate shared configuration
files (such as <code>/etc/papersize</code> and <code>/etc/news/server</code>),
and shared <code>debconf</code> variables rather than each prompting for their
own list of required pieces of information.
</p>

<p>
It also means that an upgrade should not ask the same questions again, unless
the user has used <samp>dpkg --purge</samp> to remove the package's
configuration.  The answers to configuration questions should be stored in an
appropriate place in <code>/etc</code> so that the user can modify them, and
how this has been done should be documented.
</p>

<p>
If a package has a vitally important piece of information to pass to the user
(such as &quot;don't run me as I am, you must edit the following configuration
files first or you risk your system emitting badly-formatted messages&quot;),
it should display this in the <code>config</code> or <code>postinst</code>
script and prompt the user to hit return to acknowledge the message.  Copyright
messages do not count as vitally important (they belong in
<code>/usr/share/doc/<var>package</var>/copyright</code>); neither do
instructions on how to use a program (these should be in on-line documentation,
where all the users can see them).
</p>

<p>
Any necessary prompting should almost always be confined to the
<code>config</code> or <code>postinst</code> script.  If it is done in the
<code>postinst</code>, it should be protected with a conditional so that
unnecessary prompting doesn't happen if a package's installation fails and the
<code>postinst</code> is called with <samp>abort-upgrade</samp>,
<samp>abort-remove</samp> or <samp>abort-deconfigure</samp>.
</p>

<hr>

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</p>

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<p>
Debian Policy Manual
</p>

<address>
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<br>
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