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The Debian Packager (abbreviated to dpkg), and its deb file format, were originally created by the Debian Linux distribution project in 1994 for distribution and installation of software on the Debian Linux platform.
Files in the deb format contain files to be installed to the system, in addition to metadata about the package, which may include "maintenance scripts" that are executed in various installation stages. Critically, the deb format supports enables packages to indicate relationships to other packages they depend on or conflict with.
dpkg and the deb format are used by derivatives of Debian such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint, and has been repurposed for many other platforms due to its portability. Such examples include iOS by Telesphoreo and its successors, macOS by Fink and Procursus, and Android by Termux.
dpkg is not intended to be used directly. Instead, users are expected to use APT, aptitude, or graphical package manager software such as Cydia, Sileo, or Zebra.
See Also
External Links
 dpkg |
- deb (file format) on Wikipedia
- Debian Manual: Basics of the Debian package management system
- Man pages:
- Anatomy of a Debian package, presented at linux.conf.au 2006