# dpkg-gencontrol(1) - man - phpman

[dpkg-gencontrol(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-gencontrol/1/markdown)                           dpkg suite                           [dpkg-gencontrol(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-gencontrol/1/markdown)



## NAME
       dpkg-gencontrol - generate Debian control files

## SYNOPSIS
       **dpkg-gencontrol** [_option_...]

## DESCRIPTION
       **dpkg-gencontrol** reads information from an unpacked Debian source tree and generates a binary
       package control file (which defaults to debian/tmp/DEBIAN/control); during this process it
       will simplify the relation fields.

       Thus **Pre-Depends**, **Depends**, **Recommends** and **Suggests** are simplified in this order by removing
       dependencies which are known to be true according to the stronger dependencies already
       parsed. It will also remove any self-dependency (in fact it will remove any dependency which
       evaluates to true given the current version of the package as installed). Logically it keeps
       the intersection of multiple dependencies on the same package. The order of dependencies is
       preserved as best as possible: if any dependency must be discarded due to another dependency
       appearing further in the field, the superseding dependency will take the place of the
       discarded one.

       The other relation fields (**Enhances**, **Conflicts**, **Breaks**, **Replaces** and **Provides**) are also
       simplified individually by computing the union of the various dependencies when a package is
       listed multiple times in the field.

       **dpkg-gencontrol** also adds an entry for the binary package to **debian/files**.

## OPTIONS
### -v
           Sets the version number of the binary package which will be generated.

### -V
           Set an output substitution variable. See [**deb-substvars**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/deb-substvars/5/markdown) for discussion of output
           substitution.

### -T
           Read substitution variables in _substvars-file_; the default is **debian/substvars**.  This
           option can be used multiple times to read substitution variables from multiple files
           (since dpkg 1.15.6).

### -D
           Override or add an output control file field.

### -U
           Remove an output control file field.

### -c
           Specifies the main source control file to read information from. The default is
           **debian/control**.

### -l
           Specifies the changelog file to read information from. The default is **debian/changelog**.

### -f
           Read or write the list of files to be uploaded here, rather than using **debian/files**.

### -F
           Specifies the format of the changelog. See [**dpkg-parsechangelog**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-parsechangelog/1/markdown) for information about
           alternative formats.

### -p
           Generate information for the binary package _package_.  If the source control file lists
           only one binary package then this option may be omitted; otherwise it is essential to
           select which binary package's information to generate.

### -n
           Assume the filename of the package will be _filename_ instead of the normal
           package_version_arch.deb filename.

### -is -ip -isp
           These options are ignored for compatibility with older versions of the dpkg build scripts
           but are now deprecated. Previously they were used to tell **dpkg-gencontrol** to include the
           Section and Priority fields in the control file. This is now the default behaviour. If
           you want to get the old behaviour you can use the **-U** option to delete the fields from the
           control file.

### -P
           Scan _package-build-dir_ instead of **debian/tmp**.  This value is used to find the default
           value of the **Installed-Size** substitution variable and control file field, and for the
           default location of the output file.

### -O
           Print the control file to standard output (or _filename_ if specified, since dpkg 1.17.2),
           rather than to **debian/tmp/DEBIAN/control** (or _package-build-dir_**/DEBIAN/control** if **-P** was
           used).

       **-?**, **--help**
           Show the usage message and exit.

### --version
           Show the version and exit.

## ENVIRONMENT
       **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).

## FILES
### debian/control
           The main source control information file, giving version-independent information about
           the source package and the binary packages it can produce.

### debian/files
           The list of generated files which are part of the upload being prepared.  **dpkg-gencontrol**
           adds the presumed filenames of binary packages whose control files it generates here.

## SEE ALSO
       [**deb-substvars**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/deb-substvars/5/markdown), [**deb-src-control**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/deb-src-control/5/markdown), [**deb-changelog**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/deb-changelog/5/markdown), [**deb-control**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/deb-control/5/markdown).



1.21.1                                       2025-09-09                           [dpkg-gencontrol(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dpkg-gencontrol/1/markdown)