man > dpkg-build-api(7)

dpkg-build-api(7)                            dpkg suite                            dpkg-build-api(7)

NAME
       dpkg-build-api - source package dpkg build API level

SYNOPSIS
        Build-Depends:
         dpkg-build-api (= 1),

DESCRIPTION
       The source package dpkg build API level, defines a versioned interface for source packages,
       where each API level provides specific behaviors and guarantees.

       These interfaces can then be adopted by packages in a gradual way, and phased out more easily
       than with global behavior changes.

       The declaration of this API level is done through build-dependencies, in one of Build-
       Depends, Build-Depends-Indep or Build-Depends-Arch, or via the environment variable
       DPKG_BUILD_API, which will override these if both are present, and might emit a warning in
       case they are different.

API LEVELS
       v2  This level is still under development, and cannot be declared via build-dependencies.

       v1  This is the recommended level.  Since dpkg 1.22.0.

           Changes from v0 are:

           •   dpkg-shlibdeps  no  longer  uses  the  LD_LIBRARY_PATH  environment variable.  The -l
               option should be used instead.

           •   dpkg-buildpackage defaults to  Rules-Requires-Root  value  no.   To  restore  the  v0
               behavior Rules-Requires-Root should be set to binary-targets.

           •   dpkg-buildpackage  expects  all  required debian/rules targets to be supported and no
               longer has backwards compatibility fallback code.  The required  targets  are  clean,
               build, build-indep, build-arch, binary-indep and binary-arch.

           •   vendor.mk     defaults     to     using     dpkg_vendor_derives_from_v1    for    the
               dpkg_vendor_derives_from    macro.     To    restore    the    v0    behavior     set
               dpkg_vendor_derives_from to dpkg_vendor_derives_from_v0.

           •   default.mk defaults to including buildtools.mk.

       v0  This  is  the current global level, equivalent to not specifying one.  The interfaces and
           behaviors provided are subject to the normal global  interface  updates,  which  tend  to
           require longer deprecation cycles and/or coordinated transitions.

SEE ALSO
       deb-src-control(5).

1.22.6                                       2026-05-06                            dpkg-build-api(7)