deb-buildinfo - Linux

Overview

deb-buildinfo is a command-line tool used to extract build information from Debian packages. It provides detailed data about the package, including its version, dependencies, build date, and changelog. This information is useful for tracking dependencies, managing package updates, and debugging package issues.

Syntax

deb-buildinfo [OPTIONS] <PACKAGE_NAME>

Options/Flags

  • -a, –all: Display all available build information.
  • -b, –build-date: Show the package’s build date.
  • -c, –changelog: Display the package’s changelog.
  • -d, –dependencies: List the package’s dependencies.
  • -h, –help: Show usage information.
  • -q, –quiet: Suppress output.
  • -t, –target-type: Specify the target type of the package (e.g., .deb, .rpm).
  • -v, –version: Display the package’s version.

Examples

List all build information for a package

deb-buildinfo -a python3

Show only the build date

deb-buildinfo -b python3

Extract a package’s dependencies

deb-buildinfo -d libssl-dev

Common Issues

  • Missing package: Ensure that the specified package is installed on your system.
  • Incorrect target type: Specify the correct target type using the -t option.
  • Malformed package: The package may be corrupted or not in a valid Debian format.

Integration

deb-buildinfo can be used in conjunction with other commands for advanced tasks:

  • Dependency analysis: Combine with apt-cache to analyze package dependencies and resolve conflicts.
  • Package management: Use with dpkg to compare package versions, identify updates, and perform package operations.
  • Debugging: Integrate with gdb to debug binary packages.

Related Commands

  • dpkg: Manage Debian packages.
  • apt: Install and manage packages from repositories.
  • rpm: Manage Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) packages.