# phpman > man > chdist(1)

[CHDIST(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CHDIST/1/markdown)                                                                                  [CHDIST(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CHDIST/1/markdown)



## NAME
       chdist - script to easily play with several distributions

## SYNOPSIS
       **chdist** [_options_] [_command_] [_command_ _parameters_]

## DESCRIPTION
       **chdist** is a rewrite of what used to be known as 'MultiDistroTools' (or mdt). Its use is to
       create 'APT trees' for several distributions, making it easy to query the status of packages
       in other distribution without using chroots, for instance.

## OPTIONS
### -h --help
           Provide a usage message.

### -d --data-dir
           Choose data directory (default: _~/.chdist/_).

### -a --arch
           Choose architecture (default: `**dpkg** **--print-architecture**`).

### --version
           Display version information.

## COMMANDS
       **create** _DIST_ [_URL_ _RELEASE_ _SECTIONS_]
           Prepare a new tree named _DIST_

       **apt** _DIST_ <**update**|**source**|**show**|**showsrc**|...>
           Run **apt** inside _DIST_

       **apt-get** _DIST_ <**update**|**source**|...>
           Run **apt-get** inside _DIST_

       **apt-cache** _DIST_ <**show**|**showsrc**|...>
           Run **apt-cache** inside _DIST_

       **apt-file** _DIST_ <**update**|**search**|...>
           Run **apt-file** inside _DIST_

       **apt-rdepends** _DIST_ [...]
           Run **apt-rdepends** inside _DIST_

       **aptitude** _DIST_ [...]
           Run **aptitude** inside _DIST_

       **src2bin** _DIST_ _SRCPKG_
           List binary packages for _SRCPKG_ in _DIST_

       **bin2src** _DIST_ _BINPKG_
           List source package for _BINPKG_ in _DIST_

       **compare-packages** _DIST1_ _DIST2_ [_DIST3_, ...]
       **compare-bin-packages** _DIST1_ _DIST2_ [_DIST3_, ...]
           List versions of packages in several _DIST_ributions

       **compare-versions** _DIST1_ _DIST2_
       **compare-bin-versions** _DIST1_ _DIST2_
           Same as **compare-packages**/**compare-bin-packages**, but also runs **dpkg** **--compare-versions** and
           display where the package is newer.

       **compare-src-bin-packages** _DIST_
           Compare sources and binaries for _DIST_

       **compare-src-bin-versions** _DIST_
           Same as **compare-src-bin-packages**, but also run **dpkg** **--compare-versions** and display where
           the package is newer

       **grep-dctrl-packages** _DIST_ [...]
           Run **grep-dctrl** on _*_Packages_ inside _DIST_

       **grep-dctrl-sources** _DIST_ [...]
           Run **grep-dctrl** on _*_Sources_ inside _DIST_

### list
           List available _DIST_s

## COPYRIGHT
       This program is copyright 2007 by Lucas Nussbaum and Luk Claes. This program comes with
       ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.

       It is licensed under the terms of the GPL, either version 2 of the License, or (at your
       option) any later version.



Debian Utilities                             2026-03-04                                    [CHDIST(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CHDIST/1/markdown)