# phpman > man > dpkg-buildpackage(1) > **TLDR:** Compile binary and/or source Debian packages from source code. > - Generate source and binary packages: `dpkg-buildpackage` - Generate only binary packages (no source package): `dpkg-buildpackage {{-b|--build=binary}}` - Generate only the source package (without compiling binaries): `dpkg-buildpackage {{-S|--build=source}}` - Do not sign the `.dsc` and `.changes` files: `dpkg-buildpackage {{-us|--unsigned-source}} {{-uc|--unsigned-changes}}` - Do not run `clean` before compiling: `dpkg-buildpackage {{-nc|--no-pre-clean}}` - Use `fakeroot` as the command to gain root privileges during the build: `dpkg-buildpackage {{-r|--root-command=}}fakeroot` - Run a specific `debian/rules` target: `dpkg-buildpackage {{-T|--rules-target=}}{{clean}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [dpkg-buildpackage(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-buildpackage/1/markdown) dpkg suite [dpkg-buildpackage(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-buildpackage/1/markdown) ## NAME dpkg-buildpackage - build binary or source packages from sources ## SYNOPSIS **dpkg-buildpackage** [_option_...] ## DESCRIPTION **dpkg-buildpackage** is a program that automates the process of building a Debian package. It consists of the following steps: **1.** It prepares the build environment by setting various environment variables (see **ENVIRONMENT**), runs the **init** hook, and calls **dpkg-source** **--before-build** (unless **-T** or **--target** has been used). **2.** It checks that the build-dependencies and build-conflicts are satisfied (unless **-d** or **--no-check-builddeps** is specified). **3.** If one or more specific targets have been selected with the **-T** or **--target** option, it calls those targets and stops here. Otherwise it runs the **preclean** hook and calls **fakeroot** **debian/rules** **clean** to clean the build-tree (unless **-nc** or **--no-pre-clean** is specified). **4.** It runs the **source** hook and calls **dpkg-source** **-b** to generate the source package (if a **source** build has been requested with **--build** or equivalent options). **5.** It runs the **build** hook and calls **debian/rules** _build-target_, then runs the **binary** hook followed by **fakeroot** **debian/rules** _binary-target_ (unless a source-only build has been requested with **--build=source** or equivalent options). Note that _build-target_ and _binary-_ _target_ are either **build** and **binary** (default case, or if an **any** and **all** build has been requested with **--build** or equivalent options), or **build-arch** and **binary-arch** (if an **any** and not **all** build has been requested with **--build** or equivalent options), or **build-indep** and **binary-indep** (if an **all** and not **any** build has been requested with **--build** or equivalent options). **6.** It runs the **buildinfo** hook and calls **dpkg-genbuildinfo** to generate a **.buildinfo** file. Several **dpkg-buildpackage** options are forwarded to **dpkg-genbuildinfo**. **7.** It runs the **changes** hook and calls **dpkg-genchanges** to generate a **.changes** file. The name of the **.changes** file will depend on the type of build and will be as specific as necessary but not more; for a build that includes **any** the name will be _source-_ _name_binary-version_arch_**.changes**, or otherwise for a build that includes **all** the name will be _source-name_binary-version__**all.changes**, or otherwise for a build that includes **source** the name will be _source-name_source-version__**source.changes**. Many **dpkg-** **buildpackage** options are forwarded to **dpkg-genchanges**. **8.** It runs the **postclean** hook and if **-tc** or **--post-clean** is specified, it will call **fakeroot** **debian/rules** **clean** again. **9.** It calls **dpkg-source** **--after-build**. **10.** It runs the **check** hook and calls a package checker for the **.changes** file (if a command is specified in **DEB**___**CHECK**___**COMMAND** or with **--check-command**). **11.** It runs the **sign** hook and calls **gpg** (as long as it is not an UNRELEASED build, or **--no-sign** is specified) to sign the **.dsc** file (if any, unless **-us** or **--unsigned-source** is specified), the **.buildinfo** file (unless **-ui**, **--unsigned-buildinfo**, **-uc** or **--unsigned-changes** is specified) and the **.changes** file (unless **-uc** or **--unsigned-changes** is specified). **12.** It runs the **done** hook. ## OPTIONS All long options can be specified both on the command line and in the **dpkg-buildpackage** system and user configuration files. Each line in the configuration file is either an option (exactly the same as the command line option but without leading hyphens) or a comment (if it starts with a ‘**#**’). **--build=**_type_ Specifies the build _type_ from a comma-separated list of components (since dpkg 1.18.5). Passed to **dpkg-genchanges**. The allowed values are: **source** Builds the source package. **Note:** When using this value standalone and if what you want is simply to (re-)build the source package from a clean source tree, using **dpkg-source** directly is always a better option as it does not require any build dependencies to be installed which are otherwise needed to be able to call the **clean** target. **any** Builds the architecture specific binary packages. **all** Builds the architecture independent binary packages. **binary** Builds the architecture specific and independent binary packages. This is an alias for **any,all**. **full** Builds everything. This is an alias for **source,any,all**, and the same as the default case when no build option is specified. ### -g --build=source,all ### -G --build=source,any ### -b --build=binary --build=any,all ### -B --build=any ### -A --build=all ### -S --build=source ### -F --build=full --build=source,binary --build=source,any,all 1.15.8). **--target=**_target_[,...] **--target** _target_[,...] ### -T --rules-target= Calls **debian/rules** _target_ once per target specified, after having setup the build environment (except for calling **dpkg-source** **--before-build**), and stops the package build process here (since dpkg 1.15.0, long option since dpkg 1.18.8, multi-target support since dpkg 1.18.16). If **--as-root** is also given, then the command is executed as root (see **--root-command**). Note that known targets that are required to be run as root do not need this option (i.e. the **clean**, **binary**, **binary-arch** and **binary-indep** targets). ### --as-root Only meaningful together with **--target** (since dpkg 1.15.0). Requires that the target be run with root rights. ### -si ### -sa ### -sd ### -v ### -C ### -m --release-by= ### -e --build-by= Passed unchanged to **dpkg-genchanges**. See its manual page. ### -a --host-arch Specify the Debian architecture we build for (long option since dpkg 1.17.17). The architecture of the machine we build on is determined automatically, and is also the default for the host machine. ### -t --host-type Specify the GNU system type we build for (long option since dpkg 1.17.17). It can be used in place of **--host-arch** or as a complement to override the default GNU system type of the host Debian architecture. **--target-arch** _architecture_ Specify the Debian architecture the binaries built will build for (since dpkg 1.17.17). The default value is the host machine. **--target-type** _gnu-system-type_ Specify the GNU system type the binaries built will build for (since dpkg 1.17.17). It can be used in place of **--target-arch** or as a complement to override the default GNU system type of the target Debian architecture. ### -P --build-profiles= Specify the profile(s) we build, as a comma-separated list (since dpkg 1.17.2, long option since dpkg 1.18.8). The default behavior is to build for no specific profile. Also sets them (as a space separated list) as the **DEB**___**BUILD**___**PROFILES** environment variable which allows, for example, **debian/rules** files to use this information for conditional builds. ### -j --jobs Number of jobs allowed to be run simultaneously, number of jobs matching the number of online processors if **auto** is specified (since dpkg 1.17.10), or unlimited number if _jobs_ is not specified, equivalent to the [**make**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/make/1/markdown) option of the same name (since dpkg 1.14.7, long option since dpkg 1.18.8). Will add itself to the **MAKEFLAGS** environment variable, which should cause all subsequent make invocations to inherit the option, thus forcing the parallel setting on the packaging (and possibly the upstream build system if that uses make) regardless of their support for parallel builds, which might cause build failures. Also adds **parallel=**_jobs_ or **parallel** to the **DEB**___**BUILD**___**OPTIONS** environment variable which allows debian/rules files to use this information for their own purposes. The **-j** value will override the **parallel=**_jobs_ or **parallel** option in the **DEB**___**BUILD**___**OPTIONS** environment variable. Note that the **auto** value will get replaced by the actual number of currently active processors, and as such will not get propagated to any child process. If the number of online processors cannot be inferred then the code will fallback to using serial execution (since dpkg 1.18.15), although this should only happen on exotic and unsupported systems. ### -J --jobs-try This option (since dpkg 1.18.2, long option since dpkg 1.18.8) is equivalent to the **-j** option except that it does not set the **MAKEFLAGS** environment variable, and as such it is safer to use with any package including those that are not parallel-build safe. **auto** is the default behavior (since dpkg 1.18.11). Setting the number of jobs to 1 will restore a serial behavior. ### -D --check-builddeps Check build dependencies and conflicts; abort if unsatisfied (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). This is the default behavior. ### -d --no-check-builddeps Do not check build dependencies and conflicts (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). ### --ignore-builtin-builddeps Do not check built-in build dependencies and conflicts (since dpkg 1.18.2). These are the distribution specific implicit build dependencies usually required in a build environment, the so called Build-Essential package set. ### --rules-requires-root Do not honor the **Rules-Requires-Root** field, falling back to its legacy default value (since dpkg 1.19.1). ### -nc --no-pre-clean Do not clean the source tree before building (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). Implies **-b** if nothing else has been selected among **-F**, **-g**, **-G**, **-B**, **-A** or **-S**. Implies **-d** with **-S** (since dpkg 1.18.0). ### --pre-clean Clean the source tree before building (since dpkg 1.18.8). This is the default behavior. ### -tc --post-clean Clean the source tree (using _gain-root-command_ **debian/rules** **clean**) after the package has been built (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). ### --no-post-clean Do not clean the source tree after the package has been built (since dpkg 1.19.1). This is the default behavior. ### --sanitize-env Sanitize the build environment (since dpkg 1.20.0). This will reset or remove environment variables, umask, and any other process attributes that might otherwise adversely affect the build of packages. Because the official entry point to build packages is **debian/rules**, packages cannot rely on these settings being in place, and thus should work even when they are not. What to sanitize is vendor specific. ### -r --root-command= When **dpkg-buildpackage** needs to execute part of the build process as root, it prefixes the command it executes with _gain-root-command_ if one has been specified (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). Otherwise, if none has been specified, **fakeroot** will be used by default, if the command is present. _gain-root-command_ should start with the name of a program on the **PATH** and will get as arguments the name of the real command to run and the arguments it should take. _gain-root-command_ can include parameters (they must be space- separated) but no shell metacharacters. _gain-root-command_ might typically be **fakeroot**, **sudo**, **super** or **really**. **su** is not suitable, since it can only invoke the user's shell with **-c** instead of passing arguments individually to the command to be run. ### -R --rules-file= Building a Debian package usually involves invoking **debian/rules** as a command with several standard parameters (since dpkg 1.14.17, long option since dpkg 1.18.8). With this option it's possible to use another program invocation to build the package (it can include space separated parameters). Alternatively it can be used to execute the standard rules file with another make program (for example by using **/usr/local/bin/make** **-f** **debian/rules** as _rules-file_). **--check-command=**_check-command_ Command used to check the **.changes** file itself and any artifact built referenced in the file (since dpkg 1.17.6). The command should take the **.changes** pathname as an argument. This command will usually be **lintian**. **--check-option=**_opt_ Pass option _opt_ to the _check-command_ specified with **DEB**___**CHECK**___**COMMAND** or **--check-command** (since dpkg 1.17.6). Can be used multiple times. **--hook-**_hook-name_**=**_hook-command_ Set the specified shell code _hook-command_ as the hook _hook-name_, which will run at the times specified in the run steps (since dpkg 1.17.6). The hooks will always be executed even if the following action is not performed (except for the **binary** hook). All the hooks will run in the unpacked source directory. **Note:** Hooks can affect the build process, and cause build failures if their commands fail, so watch out for unintended consequences. The current _hook-name_ supported are: **init** **preclean** **source** **build** **binary** **buildinfo** **changes** **postclean** **check** **sign** **done** The _hook-command_ supports the following substitution format string, which will get applied to it before execution: **%%** A single % character. **%a** A boolean value (0 or 1), representing whether the following action is being performed. **%p** The source package name. **%v** The source package version. **%s** The source package version (without the epoch). **%u** The upstream version. **--buildinfo-file=**_filename_ Set the _filename_ for the generated **.buildinfo** file (since dpkg 1.21.0). **--buildinfo-option=**_opt_ Pass option _opt_ to **dpkg-genbuildinfo** (since dpkg 1.18.11). Can be used multiple times. ### -p --sign-command= When **dpkg-buildpackage** needs to execute GPG to sign a source control (**.dsc**) file or a **.changes** file it will run _sign-command_ (searching the **PATH** if necessary) instead of **gpg** (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). _sign-command_ will get all the arguments that **gpg** would have gotten. _sign-command_ should not contain spaces or any other shell metacharacters. ### -k --sign-key= Specify a key-ID to use when signing packages (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). ### -us --unsigned-source Do not sign the source package (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). ### -ui --unsigned-buildinfo Do not sign the **.buildinfo** file (since dpkg 1.18.19). ### -uc --unsigned-changes Do not sign the **.buildinfo** and **.changes** files (long option since dpkg 1.18.8). ### --no-sign Do not sign any file, this includes the source package, the **.buildinfo** file and the **.changes** file (since dpkg 1.18.20). ### --force-sign Force the signing of the resulting files (since dpkg 1.17.0), regardless of **-us**, **--unsigned-source**, **-ui**, **--unsigned-buildinfo**, **-uc**, **--unsigned-changes** or other internal heuristics. ### -sn ### -ss ### -sA ### -sk ### -su ### -sr ### -sK ### -sU ### -sR ### -i --diff-ignore ### -I --tar-ignore ### -z --compression-level= ### -Z --compression= Passed unchanged to **dpkg-source**. See its manual page. **--source-option=**_opt_ Pass option _opt_ to **dpkg-source** (since dpkg 1.15.6). Can be used multiple times. **--changes-file=**_filename_ Set the _filename_ for the generated **.changes** file (since dpkg 1.21.0). **--changes-option=**_opt_ Pass option _opt_ to **dpkg-genchanges** (since dpkg 1.15.6). Can be used multiple times. **--admindir=**_dir_ **--admindir** _dir_ Change the location of the **dpkg** database (since dpkg 1.14.0). The default location is _/var/lib/dpkg_. **-?**, **--help** Show the usage message and exit. ### --version Show the version and exit. ## ENVIRONMENT ### External environment **DEB**___**CHECK**___**COMMAND** If set, it will be used as the command to check the **.changes** file (since dpkg 1.17.6). Overridden by the **--check-command** option. **DEB**___**SIGN**___**KEYID** If set, it will be used to sign the **.changes** and **.dsc** files (since dpkg 1.17.2). Overridden by the **--sign-key** option. **DEB**___**BUILD**___**OPTIONS** If set, it will contain a space-separated list of options that might affect the build process in _debian/rules_, and the behavior of some dpkg commands. With **nocheck** the **DEB**___**CHECK**___**COMMAND** variable will be ignored. With **parallel=**_N_ the parallel jobs will be set to _N_, overridden by the **--jobs-try** option. **DEB**___**BUILD**___**PROFILES** If set, it will be used as the active build profile(s) for the package being built (since dpkg 1.17.2). It is a space separated list of profile names. Overridden by the **-P** option. **DPKG**___**COLORS** Sets the color mode (since dpkg 1.18.5). The currently accepted values are: **auto** (default), **always** and **never**. **DPKG**___**NLS** If set, it will be used to decide whether to activate Native Language Support, also known as internationalization (or i18n) support (since dpkg 1.19.0). The accepted values are: **0** and **1** (default). ### Internal environment Even if **dpkg-buildpackage** exports some variables, **debian/rules** should not rely on their presence and should instead use the respective interface to retrieve the needed values, because that file is the main entry point to build packages and running it standalone should be supported. **DEB**___**BUILD**___***** **DEB**___**HOST**___***** **DEB**___**TARGET**___***** **dpkg-architecture** is called with the **-a** and **-t** parameters forwarded. Any variable that is output by its **-s** option is integrated in the build environment. **DEB**___**RULES**___**REQUIRES**___**ROOT** This variable is set to the value obtained from the **Rules-Requires-Root** field or from the command-line. When set, it will be a valid value for the **Rules-Requires-Root** field. It is used to notify **debian/rules** whether the **rootless-builds.txt** specification is supported. **DEB**___**GAIN**___**ROOT**___**CMD** This variable is set to _gain-root-command_ when the field **Rules-Requires-Root** is set to a value different to **no** and **binary-targets**. **SOURCE**___**DATE**___**EPOCH** This variable is set to the Unix timestamp since the epoch of the latest entry in _debian/changelog_, if it is not already defined. ## FILES _/etc/dpkg/buildpackage.conf_ System wide configuration file _$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/dpkg/buildpackage.conf_ or _$HOME/.config/dpkg/buildpackage.conf_ User configuration file. ## NOTES ### Compiler flags are no longer exported Between dpkg 1.14.17 and 1.16.1, **dpkg-buildpackage** exported compiler flags (**CFLAGS**, **CXXFLAGS**, **FFLAGS**, **CPPFLAGS** and **LDFLAGS**) with values as returned by **dpkg-buildflags**. This is no longer the case. ### Default build targets **dpkg-buildpackage** is using the **build-arch** and **build-indep** targets since dpkg 1.16.2. Those targets are thus mandatory. But to avoid breakages of existing packages, and ease the transition, if the source package does not build both architecture independent and dependent binary packages (since dpkg 1.18.8) it will fallback to use the **build** target if **make** **-f** **debian/rules** **-qn** _build-target_ returns 2 as exit code. ## BUGS It should be possible to specify spaces and shell metacharacters and initial arguments for _gain-root-command_ and _sign-command_. ## SEE ALSO [**dpkg-source**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-source/1/markdown), [**dpkg-architecture**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-architecture/1/markdown), [**dpkg-buildflags**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-buildflags/1/markdown), [**dpkg-genbuildinfo**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-genbuildinfo/1/markdown), **dpkg-** [**genchanges**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/genchanges/1/markdown), [**fakeroot**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/fakeroot/1/markdown), [**lintian**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/lintian/1/markdown), [**gpg**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gpg/1/markdown). 1.21.1 2025-09-09 [dpkg-buildpackage(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-buildpackage/1/markdown)