For your interest, I would suggest that a help screen along the lines
of the following would be more helpful, at least to myself, and
perhaps others. This file is to be considered bogus, however, unless
someone corrects and extends it. Mainly, I don't understand most of
these parameters; in particular, I don't use dselect or Packages to
install, since as far as I can tell this would require me to have
virtually the whole archive in place.
This is intended only to suggest what a more conventional --help
screen would look like.
I have also included a sample help screen for dpkg-deb using a similar format,
which will also be deficient, for the same reasons.
Alan Davis
"Look after truth and goodness. Beauty looks after herself."
---Eric Gill (On typography and book design).
-------------------------------------------------------------------
electra:/home/lex#dpkg-deb --help
dpkg: Debian GNU/Linux package maintainance tool.
Usage: dpkg [-options] [--parameter [--subparameter]]
[filename or .debfile name or -R]
Most parameters and options have both long (GNU) and short forms.
-h, --help Types this screen.
-v, --version Types dpkg version and licensing information and exits.
-l, --list Types a helpful list of installed packages files and status.
Basic Package Maintainance:
On .deb packagefiles
-i, --install <.deb file name> ... Install and configure a .deb packageile
--unpack <.deb file name> ... EXACTLY WHAT DOES THIS DO?
-A, --avail <.deb file name> ...
--contents <.deb file name> ... List of files in a .deb packagefile
On installed or unpacked packages dpkg -l -> listing of all installed
packages.
--configure <package name> ... Configures an unpacked package
--configure -a, --pending What this does
-r, --remove Remove package, leave config files alone
--purge <package name> ... Remove package and config files
--purge -a, --pending Look for and remove unconfigured packages
-s, --status <package-name> ... Show info screen, status of installed
package
-L, --listfiles <package-name> ... List of files in an installed package
-l, --list [<package-name-pattern> ...]
-S, --search <filename-search-pattern> ...
-C, --audit | --yet-to-unpack [What does this do?]
--merge-avail | --update-avail <Packages-file>
Recursive Operations
-i, --install -R, --recursive <dir> ...
--unpack -R, --recursive <dir> ...
-A, --avail -R, --recursive <dir> ...
Operations on Unconfigured (Pending) Packages
--purge (-a, --pending) Seek and remove all unconfigured packages.
Operations based on Packages file.
For internal use: (Perhaps include these only in dpkg-deb --help screen?).
? ^^^^^^^^ ^^^
--assert-support-predepends
--predep-package
(FOR FURTHER OPTIONS AND PARAMETERS TYPE dpkg-deb --help.)
Options:
--help This screen. (see also dpkg-deb --help)
--force-help Help about forcing operations.
--version Type version information and license, and exit.
* --licence * Include this with --version.
-Dh, --debug=help What does this give me?
--root=<directory> What does this do?
--admindir=<directory> What does this do?
--instdir=<directory> What does this do?
Overriding Depends, Conflicts, Etc.:
-O, --selected-only
-E, --skip-same-version
-G=--refuse-downgrade
-B, --auto-deconfigure
--ignore-depends=<package>,...
-D,--debug=<octal>
--force-* (type dpkg --force-help for further information)
--no-force-..., --refuse-... What does this do?
--largemem What does this do?
--smallmem What does this do?
--no-act What does this do?
USE `DSELECT' FOR USER-FRIENDLY PACKAGE MANAGEMENT.
-------------------------------------------------------# dpkg-deb --help
electra:/home/lex#dpkg-deb --help
Debian GNU/Linux package archive tool, backend. Use `dpkg' to install
and remove packages from your system.
Usage:
-b, --build <directory> [<deb>] Build an archive.
-c, --contents <deb> List contents.
-I, --info <deb> [<cfile>...] Show info to stdout.
-f, --field <deb> [<cfield>...] Show field(s) to stdout.
-e, --control <deb> [<dir>] Extract control files (deflts to subdir DEBIAN)
-x, --extract <deb> <dir> Extract files. MORE EXPLICIT?
-X, --vextract <deb> <dir> Extract & list files. MORE EXPLICIT?
--fsys-tarfile <deb> Output filesystem tarfile (?to stdout).
-h, --help Display this message.
--version Show version and licence information.
<deb>= <filename.deb> Debian package ; <cfile>= a control file;
<cfield>= a field in the main 'control' file.
Options:
-D for debugging output;
--old or --new controls archive format;
--no-check to suppress control file check (build bad package).
Use `dselect' for user-friendly package management.
Packages unpacked using `dpkg-deb --extract' will be incorrectly installed !
