dpkg-gencontrol(1) dpkg suite dpkg-gencontrol(1)
NAME
dpkg-gencontrol - generate Debian control files
SYNOPSIS
dpkg-gencontrol [option...]
DESCRIPTION
dpkg-gencontrol reads information from an unpacked Debian source tree
and generates a binary package control file (which defaults to
debian/tmp/DEBIAN/control); during this process it will simplify the
relation fields.
Thus Pre-Depends, Depends, Recommends and Suggests are simplified in
this order by removing dependencies which are known to be true according
to the stronger dependencies already parsed. It will also remove any
self-dependency (in fact it will remove any dependency which evaluates
to true given the current version of the package as installed).
Logically it keeps the intersection of multiple dependencies on the same
package. The order of dependencies is preserved as best as possible: if
any dependency must be discarded due to another dependency appearing
further in the field, the superseding dependency will take the place of
the discarded one.
The other relation fields (Enhances, Conflicts, Breaks, Replaces and
Provides) are also simplified individually by computing the union of the
various dependencies when a package is listed multiple times in the
field.
dpkg-gencontrol also adds an entry for the binary package to
debian/files.
OPTIONS
-vversion
Sets the version number of the binary package which will be
generated.
-Vname=value
Set an output substitution variable. See deb-substvars(5) for
discussion of output substitution.
-Tsubstvars-file
Read substitution variables in substvars-file; the default is
debian/substvars. This option can be used multiple times to read
substitution variables from multiple files (since dpkg 1.15.6).
-Dfield=value
Override or add an output control file field.
-Ufield
Remove an output control file field.
-ccontrol-file
Specifies the main source control file to read information from.
The default is debian/control.
-lchangelog-file
Specifies the changelog file to read information from. The default
is debian/changelog.
-ffiles-list-file
Read or write the list of files to be uploaded here, rather than
using debian/files.
-Fchangelog-format
Specifies the format of the changelog. See dpkg-parsechangelog(1)
for information about alternative formats.
-ppackage
Generate information for the binary package package. If the source
control file lists only one binary package then this option may be
omitted; otherwise it is essential to select which binary package's
information to generate.
-nfilename
Assume the filename of the package will be filename instead of the
normal package_version_arch.deb filename.
-is, -ip, -isp
These options are ignored for compatibility with older versions of
the dpkg build scripts but are now deprecated. Previously they were
used to tell dpkg-gencontrol to include the Section and Priority
fields in the control file. This is now the default behavior. If
you want to get the old behavior you can use the -U option to delete
the fields from the control file.
-Ppackage-build-dir
Scan package-build-dir instead of debian/tmp. This value is used to
find the default value of the Installed-Size substitution variable
and control file field, and for the default location of the output
file.
-O[filename]
Print the control file to standard output (or filename if specified,
since dpkg 1.17.2), rather than to debian/tmp/DEBIAN/control (or
package-build-dir/DEBIAN/control if -P was used).
-?, --help
Show the usage message and exit.
--version
Show the version and exit.
ENVIRONMENT
DEB_HOST_ARCH
Sets the host architecture.
DPKG_COLORS
Sets the color mode (since dpkg 1.18.5). The currently accepted
values are: auto (default), always and never.
DPKG_NLS
If set, it will be used to decide whether to activate Native
Language Support, also known as internationalization (or i18n)
support (since dpkg 1.19.0). The accepted values are: 0 and 1
(default).
FILES
debian/control
The main source control information file, giving version-independent
information about the source package and the binary packages it can
produce.
debian/files
The list of generated files which are part of the upload being
prepared. dpkg-gencontrol adds the presumed filenames of binary
packages whose control files it generates here.
SEE ALSO
deb-substvars(5), deb-src-control(5), deb-changelog(5), deb-control(5).
1.22.21 2025-06-30 dpkg-gencontrol(1)
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