View file File name : ap-pkg-controlfields.html Content : <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /><meta name="generator" content="Docutils 0.17.1: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/" /> <title>4. Control files and their fields (from old Packaging Manual) — Debian Policy Manual v4.6.0.1</title> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="_static/pygments.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="_static/nature.css" /> <script data-url_root="./" id="documentation_options" src="_static/documentation_options.js"></script> <script src="_static/jquery.js"></script> <script src="_static/underscore.js"></script> <script src="_static/doctools.js"></script> <link rel="index" title="Index" href="genindex.html" /> <link rel="search" title="Search" href="search.html" /> <link rel="next" title="5. Configuration file handling (from old Packaging Manual)" href="ap-pkg-conffiles.html" /> <link rel="prev" title="3. Source packages (from old Packaging Manual)" href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html" /> </head><body> <div class="related" role="navigation" aria-label="related navigation"> <h3>Navigation</h3> <ul> <li class="right" style="margin-right: 10px"> <a href="genindex.html" title="General Index" accesskey="I">index</a></li> <li class="right" > <a href="ap-pkg-conffiles.html" title="5. Configuration file handling (from old Packaging Manual)" accesskey="N">next</a> |</li> <li class="right" > <a href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html" title="3. Source packages (from old Packaging Manual)" accesskey="P">previous</a> |</li> <li class="nav-item nav-item-0"><a href="index.html">Debian Policy Manual v4.6.0.1</a> »</li> <li class="nav-item nav-item-this"><a href=""><span class="section-number">4. </span>Control files and their fields (from old Packaging Manual)</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="document"> <div class="documentwrapper"> <div class="bodywrapper"> <div class="body" role="main"> <section id="control-files-and-their-fields-from-old-packaging-manual"> <h1><span class="section-number">4. </span>Control files and their fields (from old Packaging Manual)<a class="headerlink" href="#control-files-and-their-fields-from-old-packaging-manual" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h1> <p>Many of the tools in the <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dpkg</span></code> suite manipulate data in a common format, known as control files. Binary and source packages have control data as do the <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">.changes</span></code> files which control the installation of uploaded files, and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dpkg</span></code>’s internal databases are in a similar format.</p> <section id="syntax-of-control-files"> <span id="s-sd-1"></span><h2><span class="section-number">4.1. </span>Syntax of control files<a class="headerlink" href="#syntax-of-control-files" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2> <p>See <a class="reference internal" href="ch-controlfields.html#s-controlsyntax"><span class="std std-ref">Syntax of control files</span></a>.</p> <p>It is important to note that there are several fields which are optional as far as <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dpkg</span></code> and the related tools are concerned, but which must appear in every Debian package, or whose omission may cause problems.</p> </section> <section id="list-of-fields"> <span id="s-sd-2"></span><h2><span class="section-number">4.2. </span>List of fields<a class="headerlink" href="#list-of-fields" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2> <p>See <a class="reference internal" href="ch-controlfields.html#s-controlfieldslist"><span class="std std-ref">List of fields</span></a>.</p> <p>This section now contains only the fields that didn’t belong to the Policy manual.</p> <section id="filename-and-msdos-filename"> <span id="s-pkg-f-filename"></span><h3><span class="section-number">4.2.1. </span><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Filename</span></code> and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">MSDOS-Filename</span></code><a class="headerlink" href="#filename-and-msdos-filename" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3> <p>These fields in <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Packages</span></code> files give the filename(s) of (the parts of) a package in the distribution directories, relative to the root of the Debian hierarchy. If the package has been split into several parts the parts are all listed in order, separated by spaces.</p> </section> <section id="size-and-md5sum"> <span id="s-pkg-f-size"></span><h3><span class="section-number">4.2.2. </span><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Size</span></code> and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">MD5sum</span></code><a class="headerlink" href="#size-and-md5sum" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3> <p>These fields in <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Packages</span></code> files give the size (in bytes, expressed in decimal) and MD5 checksum of the file(s) which make(s) up a binary package in the distribution. If the package is split into several parts the values for the parts are listed in order, separated by spaces.</p> </section> <section id="status"> <span id="s-pkg-f-status"></span><h3><span class="section-number">4.2.3. </span><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Status</span></code><a class="headerlink" href="#status" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3> <p>This field in <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dpkg</span></code>’s status file records whether the user wants a package installed, removed or left alone, whether it is broken (requiring re-installation) or not and what its current state on the system is. Each of these pieces of information is a single word.</p> </section> <section id="config-version"> <span id="s-pkg-f-config-version"></span><h3><span class="section-number">4.2.4. </span><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Config-Version</span></code><a class="headerlink" href="#config-version" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3> <p>If a package is not installed or not configured, this field in <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dpkg</span></code>’s status file records the last version of the package which was successfully configured.</p> </section> <section id="conffiles"> <span id="s-pkg-f-conffiles"></span><h3><span class="section-number">4.2.5. </span><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Conffiles</span></code><a class="headerlink" href="#conffiles" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3> <p>This field in <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dpkg</span></code>’s status file contains information about the automatically-managed configuration files held by a package. This field should <em>not</em> appear anywhere in a package!</p> </section> <section id="obsolete-fields"> <span id="s-sd-2-6"></span><h3><span class="section-number">4.2.6. </span>Obsolete fields<a class="headerlink" href="#obsolete-fields" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h3> <p>These are still recognized by <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dpkg</span></code> but should not appear anywhere any more.</p> <dl class="simple"> <dt><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Revision</span></code>; <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Package-Revision</span></code>; <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Package_Revision</span></code></dt><dd><p>The Debian revision part of the package version was at one point in a separate control field. This field went through several names.</p> </dd> <dt><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Recommended</span></code></dt><dd><p>Old name for <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Recommends</span></code>.</p> </dd> <dt><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Optional</span></code></dt><dd><p>Old name for <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Suggests</span></code>.</p> </dd> <dt><code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Class</span></code></dt><dd><p>Old name for <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Priority</span></code>.</p> </dd> </dl> </section> </section> </section> <div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sphinxsidebar" role="navigation" aria-label="main navigation"> <div class="sphinxsidebarwrapper"> <h3><a href="index.html">Table of Contents</a></h3> <ul> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#">4. Control files and their fields (from old Packaging Manual)</a><ul> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#syntax-of-control-files">4.1. Syntax of control files</a></li> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#list-of-fields">4.2. List of fields</a><ul> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#filename-and-msdos-filename">4.2.1. <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Filename</span></code> and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">MSDOS-Filename</span></code></a></li> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#size-and-md5sum">4.2.2. <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Size</span></code> and <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">MD5sum</span></code></a></li> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#status">4.2.3. <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Status</span></code></a></li> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#config-version">4.2.4. <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Config-Version</span></code></a></li> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#conffiles">4.2.5. <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Conffiles</span></code></a></li> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#obsolete-fields">4.2.6. Obsolete fields</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h4>Previous topic</h4> <p class="topless"><a href="ap-pkg-sourcepkg.html" title="previous chapter"><span class="section-number">3. </span>Source packages (from old Packaging Manual)</a></p> <h4>Next topic</h4> <p class="topless"><a href="ap-pkg-conffiles.html" title="next chapter"><span class="section-number">5. </span>Configuration file handling (from old Packaging Manual)</a></p> <div role="note" aria-label="source link"> <h3>This Page</h3> <ul class="this-page-menu"> <li><a href="_sources/ap-pkg-controlfields.rst.txt" rel="nofollow">Show Source</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="searchbox" style="display: none" role="search"> <h3 id="searchlabel">Quick search</h3> <div class="searchformwrapper"> <form class="search" action="search.html" method="get"> <input type="text" name="q" aria-labelledby="searchlabel" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" autocapitalize="off" spellcheck="false"/> <input type="submit" value="Go" /> </form> </div> </div> <script>$('#searchbox').show(0);</script> </div> </div> <div class="clearer"></div> </div> <div class="related" role="navigation" aria-label="related navigation"> <h3>Navigation</h3> <ul> <li class="right" style="margin-right: 10px"> <a href="genindex.html" title="General Index" >index</a></li> <li class="right" > <a href="ap-pkg-conffiles.html" title="5. 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