{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "debconf-set-selections",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/debconf-set-selections/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-06-16T10:12:09Z",
    "synopsis": "debconf-set-selections file\ndebconf-get-selections | ssh newhost debconf-set-selections",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "debconf-set-selections - insert new values into the debconf database\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "debconf-set-selections file\ndebconf-get-selections | ssh newhost debconf-set-selections\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "debconf-set-selections can be used to pre-seed the debconf database with answers, or to\nchange answers in the database. Each question will be marked as seen to prevent debconf from\nasking the question interactively.\n\nReads from a file if a filename is given, otherwise from stdin.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "WARNING": {
            "content": "Only use this command to seed debconf values for packages that will be or are installed.\nOtherwise you can end up with values in the database for uninstalled packages that will not\ngo away, or with worse problems involving shared values. It is recommended that this only be\nused to seed the database if the originating machine has an identical install.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DATA FORMAT": {
            "content": "The data is a series of lines. Lines beginning with a # character are comments. Blank lines\nare ignored. All other lines set the value of one question, and should contain four values,\neach separated by one character of whitespace. The first value is the name of the package\nthat owns the question. The second is the name of the question, the third value is the type\nof this question, and the fourth value (through the end of the line) is the value to use for\nthe answer of the question.\n\nAlternatively, the third value can be \"seen\"; then the preseed line only controls whether the\nquestion is marked as seen in debconf's database. Note that preseeding a question's value\ndefaults to marking that question as seen, so to override the default value without marking a\nquestion seen, you need two lines.\n\nLines can be continued to the next line by ending them with a \"\\\" character.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "EXAMPLES": {
            "content": "# Force debconf priority to critical.\ndebconf debconf/priority select critical\n\n# Override default frontend to readline, but allow user to select.\ndebconf debconf/frontend select readline\ndebconf debconf/frontend seen false\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "--verbose, -v\nverbose output\n\n--checkonly, -c\nonly check the input file format, do not save changes to database\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "debconf-get-selections(1) (available in the debconf-utils package)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHOR": {
            "content": "Petter Reinholdtsen <pere@hungry.com>\n\n\n\n2022-02-20                    DEBCONF-SET-SELECTIONS(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "debconf-set-selections - insert new values into the debconf database",
    "flags": [],
    "examples": [
        "# Force debconf priority to critical.",
        "debconf debconf/priority select critical",
        "# Override default frontend to readline, but allow user to select.",
        "debconf debconf/frontend select readline",
        "debconf debconf/frontend seen false"
    ],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "debconf-get-selections",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/debconf-get-selections/1/json"
        }
    ]
}