Usage: dpkg [<option>...] <command>
Commands:
-i|--install <.deb file name>... | -R|--recursive <directory>...
--unpack <.deb file name>... | -R|--recursive <directory>...
-A|--record-avail <.deb file name>... | -R|--recursive <directory>...
--configure <package>... | -a|--pending
--triggers-only <package>... | -a|--pending
-r|--remove <package>... | -a|--pending
-P|--purge <package>... | -a|--pending
-V|--verify [<package>...] Verify the integrity of package(s).
--get-selections [<pattern>...] Get list of selections to stdout.
--set-selections Set package selections from stdin.
--clear-selections Deselect every non-essential package.
--update-avail [<Packages-file>] Replace available packages info.
--merge-avail [<Packages-file>] Merge with info from file.
--clear-avail Erase existing available info.
--forget-old-unavail Forget uninstalled unavailable pkgs.
-s|--status [<package>...] Display package status details.
-p|--print-avail [<package>...] Display available version details.
-L|--listfiles <package>... List files 'owned' by package(s).
-l|--list [<pattern>...] List packages concisely.
-S|--search <pattern>... Find package(s) owning file(s).
-C|--audit [<package>...] Check for broken package(s).
--yet-to-unpack Print packages selected for installation.
--predep-package Print pre-dependencies to unpack.
--add-architecture <arch> Add <arch> to the list of architectures.
--remove-architecture <arch> Remove <arch> from the list of architectures.
--print-architecture Print dpkg architecture.
--print-foreign-architectures Print allowed foreign architectures.
--assert-help Show help on assertions.
--assert-<feature> Assert support for the specified feature.
--validate-<thing> <string> Validate a <thing>'s <string>.
--compare-versions <a> <op> <b> Compare version numbers - see below.
--force-help Show help on forcing.
-Dh|--debug=help Show help on debugging.
-?, --help Show this help message.
--version Show the version.
Validatable things: pkgname, archname, trigname, version.
Use dpkg with -b, --build, -c, --contents, -e, --control, -I, --info,
-f, --field, -x, --extract, -X, --vextract, --ctrl-tarfile, --fsys-tarfile
on archives (type dpkg-deb --help).
Options:
--admindir=<directory> Use <directory> instead of /var/lib/dpkg.
--root=<directory> Install on a different root directory.
--instdir=<directory> Change installation dir without changing admin dir.
--pre-invoke=<command> Set a pre-invoke hook.
--post-invoke=<command> Set a post-invoke hook.
--path-exclude=<pattern> Do not install paths which match a shell pattern.
--path-include=<pattern> Re-include a pattern after a previous exclusion.
-O|--selected-only Skip packages not selected for install/upgrade.
-E|--skip-same-version Skip packages with same installed version/arch.
-G|--refuse-downgrade Skip packages with earlier version than installed.
-B|--auto-deconfigure Install even if it would break some other package.
--[no-]triggers Skip or force consequential trigger processing.
--verify-format=<format> Verify output format (supported: 'rpm').
--no-pager Disables the use of any pager.
--no-debsig Do not try to verify package signatures.
--no-act|--dry-run|--simulate
Just say what we would do - don't do it.
-D|--debug=<octal> Enable debugging (see -Dhelp or --debug=help).
--status-fd <n> Send status change updates to file descriptor <n>.
--status-logger=<command> Send status change updates to <command>'s stdin.
--log=<filename> Log status changes and actions to <filename>.
--ignore-depends=<package>[,...]
Ignore dependencies involving <package>.
--force-<thing>[,...] Override problems (see --force-help).
--no-force-<thing>[,...] Stop when problems encountered.
--refuse-<thing>[,...] Ditto.
--abort-after <n> Abort after encountering <n> errors.
--robot Use machine-readable output on some commands.
Comparison operators for --compare-versions are:
lt le eq ne ge gt (treat empty version as earlier than any version);
lt-nl le-nl ge-nl gt-nl (treat empty version as later than any version);
< << <= = >= >> > (only for compatibility with control file syntax).
Use 'apt' or 'aptitude' for user-friendly package management.