deb-postinst(5)

📦
version 1.23.11 · 19 versions
, in arch rolling

✨ NAME ✨

Okay so bestie, this is deb-postinst(5) — the manual page for the package post-installation maintainer script. It’s giving “the script that handles post-install business,” and we are gonna get you fluent in it, no cap. 💖

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

The synopsis is literally just this path, periodt:

DEBIAN/postinst

That’s the whole vibe. ✨

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

A package can perform several post-installation actions via maintainer scripts, by including an executable postinst file in its control archive — that’s DEBIAN/postinst during package creation, iykyk. So yes: executable file, control archive, package creation. Slay. 🫶

The script can be called in the following ways — keep these exact forms in your notes, bestie, fr fr:

  • postinst configure old-version — after the package was installed. 🌸
  • postinst triggered "trigger-name..." — after the package was triggered. The list of space-separated trigger-names is passed as the second argument. Yes, space-separated, all of them, that’s the whole point. 🦋
  • old-postinst abort-upgrade new-version — if prerm fails during upgrade or fails on failed-upgrade. 😭
  • old-postinst abort-remove — if prerm fails during remove. 💀
  • postinst abort-deconfigure in-favour new-package new-version with the bracketed continuation [ removing old-package old-version ] — if prerm fails during deconfigure in-favour of a package. Here’s the exact shape:
postinst abort-deconfigure in-favour new-package new-version
       [ removing old-package old-version ]

The bracket line is part of the form, not a drill. 🎀

  • postinst abort-remove in-favour new-package new-version — if prerm fails during remove in-favour for replacement due to conflict. 👑

Vibe check: all of those conditions are exact, and prerm is the main character of the “if it fails” moments. Periodt. 💅

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

  • dpkg(1) — go read it, bestie, it’s iconic and it’s literally the reference. 👑⭐

This page is from the dpkg suite, version 1.23.11-dirty, dated 2026-09-09 — and it’s literally deb-postinst(5). Stay executable, bestie 💖✨🫶

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