deb-src-control

deb-src-control(5) dpkg suite deb-src-control(5)

NAME

   deb-src-control - Debian source package template control file format

SYNOPSIS

   debian/control

DESCRIPTION

   Each Debian source package contains the «debian/control» template source control file, and its deb822(5) format is a superset of the control file shipped in Debian binary packages,
   see deb-control(5).

   This file contains at least 2 stanzas, separated by a blank line.  The first stanza is called the source package stanza and lists all information about the source package in general,
   while each following stanzas are called the binary package stanzas and describe exactly one binary package per stanza.  Each stanza consists of at least one field.  A field starts
   with a field name, such as Package or Section (case insensitive), followed by a colon, the body of the field (case sensitive unless stated otherwise) and a newline.  Multi-line fields
   are also allowed, but each supplementary line, without a field name, must start with at least one space.  The content of the multi-line fields is generally joined to a single line by
   the tools (except in the case of the Description field, see below).  To insert empty lines into a multi-line field, insert a dot after the space.  Lines starting with a #’ are
   treated as comments.

SOURCE FIELDS

   Source: source-package-name (required)
       The  value  of  this  field  is  the  name  of the source package, and must match the name of the source package in the debian/changelog file.  A package name must consist only of
       lowercase letters (a-z), digits (0-9), plus (+) and minus (-) signs, and periods (.).  Package names must be at  least  two  characters  long  and  must  start  with  a  lowercase
       alphanumeric character (a-z0-9).

   Maintainer: fullname-email (recommended)
       Should  be  in  the  format «Joe Bloggs <jbloggs@foo.com>», and references the person who currently maintains the package, as opposed to the author of the software or the original
       packager.

   Uploaders: fullname-email
       Lists all the names and email addresses of co-maintainers of the package, in the same format as the Maintainer field.  Multiple co-maintainers should be separated by a comma.

   Standards-Version: version-string
       This documents the most recent version of the distribution policy standards this package complies with.

   Description short-description
    long-description
       The format for the source package description is a short brief summary on the first line (after the Description field).  The following lines should  be  used  as  a  longer,  more
       detailed  description.   Each  line  of the long description must be preceded by a space, and blank lines in the long description must contain a single . following the preceding
       space.

   Homepage: url
       The upstream project home page URL.

   Bugs: url
       The url of the bug tracking system for this package.  The current used format is bts-type://bts-address, like debbugs://bugs.debian.org.  This field is usually not needed.

   Build-Driver: driver-name
       This experimental field specifies the name of the build driver to use to build this package.  When omitted the driver-name defaults to debian-rules.

       This field is supported since dpkg 1.22.7.

   Rules-Requires-Root: no|binary-targets|impl-keywords
       This field is used to indicate whether the debian/rules file requires (fake)root privileges to run some of its targets, and if so when.

       no  The binary targets will not require (fake)root at all.  This is the default in dpkg-build-api level >= 1, or since dpkg 1.22.13.

       binary-targets
           The binary targets must always be run under (fake)root.  This value is the default in dpkg-build-api level 0 until dpkg 1.22.13, when the field is omitted;  adding  the  field
           with an explicit binary-targets, while not strictly needed, marks it as having been analyzed for this requirement.

       impl-keywords
           This is a space-separated list of keywords which define when (fake)root is required.

           Keywords  consist  of  namespace/cases.   The namespace part cannot contain "/" or whitespace.  The cases part cannot contain whitespace.  Furthermore, both parts must consist
           entirely of printable ASCII characters.

           Each tool/package will define a namespace named after itself and provide a number  of  cases  where  (fake)root  is  required.   (See  "Implementation  provided  keywords"  in
           rootless-builds.txt).

           When  the  field  is  set  to  one  of  the  impl-keywords,  the  builder  will  expose  an  interface that is used to run a command under (fake)root.  (See "Gain Root API" in
           rootless-builds.txt.)

   Testsuite: name-list
   Testsuite-Triggers: package-list
       These fields are described in the dsc(5) manual page, as they are generated from information inferred from debian/tests/control or copied literally to the source control file.

   Vcs-Arch: url
   Vcs-Bzr: url
   Vcs-Cvs: url
   Vcs-Darcs: url
   Vcs-Git: url
   Vcs-Hg: url
   Vcs-Mtn: url
   Vcs-Svn: url
       The url of the Version Control System repository used to maintain this package.  Currently supported are Arch, Bzr (Bazaar), Cvs, Darcs, Git, Hg (Mercurial),  Mtn  (Monotone)  and
       Svn (Subversion).  Usually this field points to the latest version of the package, such as the main branch or the trunk.

   Vcs-Browser: url
       The url of a web interface to browse the Version Control System repository.

   Origin: name
       The name of the distribution this package is originating from.  This field is usually not needed.

   Section: section
       This is a general field that gives the package a category based on the software that it installs.  Some common sections are utils, net, mail, text, x11, etc.

       When omitted, the section defaults to unknown (since dpkg 1.22.13).

       The accepted values are based on the specific distribution policy.

   Priority: priority
       Sets  the  importance of this package in relation to the system as a whole.  The known priorities are required, important, standard, optional, extra, and unknown, but other values
       can be used as well.

       When omitted, the priority defaults to optional (since dpkg 1.22.13).

       How to apply these values depends on the specific distribution policy.

   Build-Depends: package-list
       A list of packages that need to be installed and configured to be able to build from source package.  These dependencies need to be satisfied  when  building  binary  architecture
       dependent  or  independent  packages  and source packages.  Including a dependency in this field does not have the exact same effect as including it in both Build-Depends-Arch and
       Build-Depends-Indep, because the dependency also needs to be satisfied when building the source package.

   Build-Depends-Arch: package-list
       Same as Build-Depends, but they are only needed when building the architecture dependent packages.  The Build-Depends are also installed in this case.   This  field  is  supported
       since dpkg 1.16.4; in order to build with older dpkg versions, Build-Depends should be used instead.

   Build-Depends-Indep: package-list
       Same as Build-Depends, but they are only needed when building the architecture independent packages.  The Build-Depends are also installed in this case.

   Build-Conflicts: package-list
       A  list of packages that should not be installed when the package is built, for example because they interfere with the build system used.  Including a dependency in this list has
       the same effect as including it in both Build-Conflicts-Arch and Build-Conflicts-Indep, with the additional effect of being used for source-only builds.

   Build-Conflicts-Arch: package-list
       Same as Build-Conflicts, but only when building the architecture dependent packages.  This field is supported since dpkg 1.16.4; in order to build with older dpkg versions, Build-
       Conflicts should be used instead.

   Build-Conflicts-Indep: package-list
       Same as Build-Conflicts, but only when building the architecture independent packages.

   The syntax of the Build-Depends, Build-Depends-Arch and Build-Depends-Indep fields is a list of groups of alternative packages.  Each group is a list of packages separated by vertical
   bar (or pipe) symbols, |.  The groups are separated by commas ,, and can end with a trailing comma that will be eliminated when generating the fields for  deb-control(5)  (since
   dpkg  1.10.14).   Commas  are  to be read as AND, and pipes as OR, with pipes binding more tightly.  Each package name is optionally followed by an architecture qualifier appended
   after a colon :, optionally followed by a version number specification in parentheses ( and ), an architecture specification in square brackets [ and ],  and  a  restriction
   formula consisting of one or more lists of profile names in angle brackets < and >.

   The syntax of the Build-Conflicts, Build-Conflicts-Arch and Build-Conflicts-Indep fields is a list of comma-separated package names, where the comma is read as an AND, and where the
   list  can  end with a trailing comma that will be eliminated when generating the fields for deb-control(5) (since dpkg 1.10.14).  Specifying alternative packages using a pipe is not
   supported.  Each package name is optionally followed by a version number specification in parentheses, an architecture specification in square  brackets,  and  a  restriction  formula
   consisting of one or more lists of profile names in angle brackets.

   An  architecture  qualifier name can be a real Debian architecture name (since dpkg 1.16.5), any (since dpkg 1.16.2) or native (since dpkg 1.16.5).  If omitted, the default for Build-
   Depends fields is the current host architecture, the default for Build-Conflicts fields is any.  A real Debian architecture name will match exactly that architecture for that  package
   name,  any  will match any architecture for that package name if the package is marked with Multi-Arch: allowed, and native will match the current build architecture if the package is
   not marked with Multi-Arch: foreign.

   A version number may start with a >>, in which case any later version will match, and may specify or omit the Debian packaging revision (separated by a  hyphen).   Accepted  version
   relationships are >> for greater than, << for less than, >= for greater than or equal to, <= for less than or equal to, and = for equal to.

   An architecture specification consists of one or more architecture names, separated by whitespace.  Exclamation marks may be prepended to each of the names, meaning NOT.

   A  restriction  formula  consists  of  one or more restriction lists, separated by whitespace.  Each restriction list is enclosed in angle brackets.  Items in the restriction list are
   build profile names, separated by whitespace and can be prefixed with an exclamation mark, meaning NOT.  A restriction formula represents a disjunctive normal form expression.

   Note that dependencies on packages in the build-essential set can be omitted and that declaring build conflicts against them is impossible.  A list of these packages is in the  build-
   essential package.

BINARY FIELDS

   Note that the Priority, Section and Homepage fields can also be in a binary stanza to override the global value from the source package.

   Package: binary-package-name (required)
       This field is used to name the binary package name.  The same restrictions as to a source package name apply.

   Package-Type: deb|udeb|type
       This  field  defines the type of the package.  udeb is for size-constrained packages used by the debian installer.  deb is the default value, it is assumed if the field is absent.
       More types might be added in the future.

   Architecture: arch|all|any (required)
       The architecture specifies on which type of hardware this package runs.  For packages that run on all architectures, use  the  any  value.   For  packages  that  are  architecture
       independent,  such  as  shell  and  Perl  scripts or documentation, use the all value.  To restrict the packages to a certain set of architectures, specify the architecture names,
       separated by a space.  It's also possible to put architecture wildcards in that list (see dpkg-architecture(1) for more information about them).

   Build-Profiles: restriction-formula
       This field specifies the conditions for which this binary package does or does not build.  To express that condition, the same restriction formula syntax  from  the  Build-Depends
       field is used (including the angle brackets).

       If a binary package stanza does not contain this field, then it implicitly means that it builds with all build profiles (including none at all).

       In  other words, if a binary package stanza is annotated with a non-empty Build-Profiles field, then this binary package is generated if and only if the condition expressed by the
       conjunctive normal form expression evaluates to true.

   Protected: yes|no
   Essential: yes|no
   Build-Essential: yes|no
   Multi-Arch: same|foreign|allowed|no
   Tag: tag-list
   Description: short-description (recommended)
       These fields are described in the deb-control(5) manual page, as they are copied literally to the control file of the binary package.

   Depends: package-list
   Pre-Depends: package-list
   Recommends: package-list
   Suggests: package-list
   Breaks: package-list
   Enhances: package-list
   Replaces: package-list
   Conflicts: package-list
   Provides: package-list
   Built-Using: package-list
   Static-Built-Using: package-list
       These fields declare relationships between packages.  They are discussed in the deb-control(5) manual page.  When these fields are found in debian/control they can also end with a
       trailing comma (since dpkg 1.10.14), have architecture specifications and restriction formulas which will all get reduced when generating the fields for deb-control(5).

   Subarchitecture: value
   Kernel-Version: value
   Installer-Menu-Item: value
       These    fields    are    used    by    the    debian-installer    in    udebs    and    are    usually    not    needed.      For     more     details     about     them,     see
       <https://salsa.debian.org/installer-team/debian-installer/-/raw/master/doc/devel/modules.txt>.

USER-DEFINED FIELDS

   It  is  allowed  to add additional user-defined fields to the control file.  The tools will ignore these fields.  If you want the fields to be copied over to the output files, such as
   the binary packages, you need to use a custom naming scheme: the fields should start with an X, followed by zero or more of the letters SBC and a hyphen.

   S   The field will appear in the source package control file, see dsc(5).

   B   The field will appear in the control file in the binary package, see deb-control(5).

   C   The field will appear in the upload control (.changes) file, see deb-changes(5).

   Note that the X[SBC]- prefixes are stripped when the fields are copied over to the output files.  A field XC-Approved-By will appear as Approved-By in the changes file  and  will  not
   appear in the binary or source package control files.

   Take  into account that these user-defined fields will be using the global namespace, which might at some point in the future collide with officially recognized fields.  To avoid such
   potential situation you can prefix those fields with Private-, such as XB-Private-New-Field.

EXAMPLE

    # Comment
    Source: dpkg
    Section: admin
    Priority: required
    Maintainer: Dpkg Developers <debian-dpkg@lists.debian.org>
    # This field is copied to the binary and source packages.
    XBS-Upstream-Release-Status: stable
    Homepage: https://wiki.debian.org/Teams/Dpkg
    Vcs-Browser: https://git.dpkg.org/cgit/dpkg/dpkg.git
    Vcs-Git: https://git.dpkg.org/git/dpkg/dpkg.git
    Standards-Version: 4.7.0
    Build-Depends:
     debhelper-compat (= 13),
     debhelper (>= 13.10~),
     pkgconf,
     libselinux1-dev (>= 1.28-4) [!linux-any],

    Package: dpkg-dev
    Section: utils
    Priority: optional
    Architecture: all
    # This is a custom field in the binary package.
    XB-Mentoring-Contact: Raphael Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>
    Depends:
     binutils,
     bzip2,
     cpio (>= 2.4.2-2),
    # This is a comment in the middle of a field value.
     dpkg (>= 1.14.6),
     libtimedate-perl,
     lzma,
     make,
     patch (>= 2.2-1),
     perl-modules,
     perl5,
    Recommends:
     gcc | c-compiler,
     build-essential,
    Suggests:
     gnupg,
     debian-keyring,
    Conflicts:
     dpkg-cross (<< 2.0.0),
     devscripts (<< 2.10.26),
    Replaces:
     manpages-pl (<= 20051117-1),
    Description: Debian package development tools
     This package provides the development tools (including dpkg-source)
     required to unpack, build and upload Debian source packages.
     .
     Most Debian source packages will require additional tools to build;
     for example, most packages need make and the C compiler gcc.

SEE ALSO

   /usr/share/doc/dpkg/spec/rootless-builds.txt, deb822(5), deb-control(5), deb-version(7), dpkg-source(1)

1.22.21 2025-06-30 deb-src-control(5)