DEBCONF-SHOW(1)

📦
version 1.5.92 · 9 versions
, in ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

✨ debconf-show — the manual page, but make it make sense ✨

okay bestie, this is the debconf-show(1) page from the Debconf manual, and we're gonna go through it together because honestly? it's a little icon and you deserve to know about it 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

debconf-show — query the debconf database

like. it asks the debconf database questions. that's the whole vibe. 🔥

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

debconf-show packagename [...] [--db=dbname]
debconf-show --listowners [--db=dbname]
debconf-show --listdbs

three whole ways to run this thing, pick your fighter ✨

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so debconf-show lets you query the debconf database in a bunch of different ways. it's giving ✨options✨.

the most common use is literally debconf-show packagename, and what that does is show you every single item in the debconf database owned by that given package, plus their current values. and here's the cute detail: questions that have already been asked get prefixed with an '*'. so you can tell at a glance which ones have already had their moment 🫶

why do you care? because this is a genuinely useful debugging aid, and it's especially handy in bug reports that involve a package's use of debconf. like if you're filing a bug and the maintainer needs to see what your debconf answers look like — this is the tool. no cap. 💖

💅 OPTIONS 💅

  • --db=dbname — specify which database you wanna query. by default, debconf-show queries the main database, because of course it does, it's the main character 👑
  • --listowners — lists all the owners of questions in the database. generally speaking, an owner is equivalent to a debian package name. iykyk 🎀
  • --listdbs — lists all available databases. every single one. go look at them. slay 🌈

👑 AUTHOR 👑

written by Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org> and Sylvain Ferriol. icons, honestly. we love them for this 🫶

okay that's the whole page bestie, you ate it, you understood it, periodt. this was the Debconf version of the manual, dated 2026-02-16 — so like, remember that date if you ever need to cite your sources 💖 bye bestie, go query a database, mwah 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from