Dpkg(3perl)

📦
version 1.23.11 · 19 versions
, in arch rolling

💅 Dpkg(3perl) — the libdpkg-perl era

okay so bestie, you're looking at Dpkg(3perl) — the actual manpage from the libdpkg-perl corner of the universe. sit down, grab a strawberry 🍓, and let's get into it.

✨ NAME ✨

Dpkg — the module that's literally just a bag of core variables, but make it iconic.

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So the Dpkg module hands you a whole little set of variables carrying info about this system installation. like, your system. right now. no cap.

It's also the front door — the entry point — to the entire Dpkg module hierarchy. main character energy, honestly. 👑

🎀 VARIABLES 🎀

Every single one, no skips, periodt:

  • $Dpkg::PROGNAME — holds the name of the program you're currently running.
  • $Dpkg::PROGVERSION — holds the version of the whole dpkg suite.
  • $Dpkg::PROGMAKE — holds the name of the system's GNU make program.
  • $Dpkg::PROGTAR — holds the name of the system's GNU tar program.
  • $Dpkg::PROGPATCH — holds the name of the system's GNU patch program (or another implementation that's directory-traversal resistant, iykyk 🛡️).
  • $Dpkg::CONFDIR — holds the path to the dpkg system configuration directory.
  • $Dpkg::ADMINDIR — holds the path to the dpkg database directory.
  • $Dpkg::LIBDIR — holds the path to the dpkg methods and plugins directory.
  • $Dpkg::DATADIR — holds the path to the dpkg architecture tables directory.

like, that's the whole vibe. paths and program names. very demure, very mindful. 💜

🦋 MODULES 🦋

here's the list of public modules chilling inside the Dpkg hierarchy. two rules, bestie, listen up:

  • only modules with versions 1.00 or higher count,
  • and only the interfaces documented in their POD are considered public.

everything else? not invited to the party. 🙈

  • Dpkg — this module right here. core variables. hi.
  • Dpkg::Arch — architecture handling functions.
  • Dpkg::BuildFlags — set, modify and query compilation build flags.
  • Dpkg::BuildInfo — build information functions.
  • Dpkg::BuildOptions — parse and manipulate DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS.
  • Dpkg::BuildProfiles — parse and manipulate build profiles.
  • Dpkg::Changelog — parse changelogs.
  • Dpkg::Changelog::Entry — represents a changelog entry.
  • Dpkg::Changelog::Parse — generic changelog parser for dpkg-parsechangelog.
  • Dpkg::Checksums — generate and parse checksums.
  • Dpkg::Compression — simple database of available compression methods.
  • Dpkg::Compression::FileHandle — transparently compress and decompress files.
  • Dpkg::Compression::Process — wrapper around compression tools.
  • Dpkg::Conf — parse dpkg configuration files.
  • Dpkg::Control — parse and manipulate Debian control information (.dsc, .changes, Packages/Sources entries, etc.).
  • Dpkg::Control::Changelog — represent fields output by dpkg-parsechangelog.
  • Dpkg::Control::Fields — manage (list of known) control fields.
  • Dpkg::Control::Hash — parse and manipulate a stanza of deb822 fields.
  • Dpkg::Control::Info — parse files like debian/control.
  • Dpkg::Control::Tests — parse files like debian/tests/control.
  • Dpkg::Control::Tests::Entry — represents a debian/tests/control stanza.
  • Dpkg::Deps — parse and manipulate dependencies.
  • Dpkg::Deps::Simple — represents a single dependency statement.
  • Dpkg::Deps::Multiple — base module to represent multiple dependencies.
  • Dpkg::Deps::Union — list of unrelated dependencies.
  • Dpkg::Deps::AND — list of AND dependencies.
  • Dpkg::Deps::OR — list of OR dependencies.
  • Dpkg::Deps::KnownFacts — list of installed and virtual packages.
  • Dpkg::Exit — push, pop and run exit handlers.
  • Dpkg::Gettext — wrapper around Locale::gettext.
  • Dpkg::IPC — spawn sub-processes and feed/retrieve data.
  • Dpkg::Index — collections of Dpkg::Control (Packages/Sources files for example).
  • Dpkg::Interface::Storable — base object serializer.
  • Dpkg::Path — common path handling functions.
  • Dpkg::Source::Format — parse and manipulate debian/source/format files.
  • Dpkg::Source::Package — extract Debian source packages.
  • Dpkg::Substvars — substitute variables in strings.
  • Dpkg::Vendor — identify current distribution vendor.
  • Dpkg::Version — parse and manipulate Debian package versions.

ate. every single one of them. 🔥

💀 CHANGES 💀

the lore. the timeline. let's go. ⭐

Version 2.00 (dpkg 1.20.0)

  • removed variables: $version, $progname, $admindir, $dpkglibdir and $pkgdatadir. gone. not coming back. 😭

Version 1.03 (dpkg 1.18.24)

  • new variable: $PROGPATCH.

Version 1.02 (dpkg 1.18.11)

  • new variable: $PROGTAR, $PROGMAKE.

Version 1.01 (dpkg 1.17.0)

  • new variables: $PROGNAME, $PROGVERSION, $CONFDIR, $ADMINDIR, $LIBDIR and $DATADIR.
  • deprecated variables: $version, $admindir, $dpkglibdir and $pkgdatadir.
lowkey foreshadowing, bestie — see Version 2.00 above for how that deprecation arc ended. 💀

Version 1.00 (dpkg 1.15.6)

  • marked the module as public. the debut. the glow-up. 👑

🌈 LICENSE 🌈

okay so licensing here isn't one-size-fits-all — you gotta see the header comment on each module for their particular license. check before you copy, fr fr. 🫶

and that's the whole page! 🧚 this little gem comes from the libdpkg-perl world, version 1.23.11-dirty, dated 2026-09-09 — mwah, slay, bye bestie! 💖✨

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