DEB(8)

NAME
deb - Debian GNU/Linux package format

SYNOPSIS
<packagename>.deb

DESCRIPTION
Debian archive file format. Version 0.93 is implemented as follows:

line 1:
    version number (0.93...), followed by newline.

line 2:
    number of characters occupied by control area expressed in decimal, followed by newline.

control area:
    compressed gzipped ustar formatted archive. Must contain file named control. May optionally contain files named: conffiles, preinst, prerm, postint, postrm.

files archive area:
    compressed gzipped ustar formatted archive. [with file structures designed to be unpacked in the root directory].

FILES
The files represented in the control area have special significance:

control
    see deb-control(5).

conffiles
    a line delimited list of "configuration files" which have special significance to dpkg(8).

preinst
    an executable to be run before unpacking the archived files.

prerm
    an executable to be run before removing files from a prior installation.

postinst
    an executable to be run after unpacking the archived files.

postrm
    an executable to be run after removing files from a prior installation. There is a new package format, which is not documented here.

SEE ALSO
deb-control(5), dpkg(5), dpkg(8), dpkg-dep(8), dselect(8).