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

       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).

1.22.6                                             2024-07-17                                 dpkg-gencontrol(1)