1dpkg-split(1) dpkg utilities dpkg-split(1)
2
6 dpkg-split - Debian package archive split/join tool
7
9 dpkg-split [options] command
10
12 dpkg-split splits Debian binary package files into smaller parts and
13 reassembles them again, to support the storage of large package files
14 on small media such as floppy disks.
15 It can be operated manually using the --split, --join and --info
17 options.
18 It also has an automatic mode, invoked using the --auto option, where
20 it maintains a queue of parts seen but not yet reassembled and reassem‐
21 bles a package file when it has seen all of its parts. The --listq and
22 --discard options allow the management of the queue.
23 All splitting, joining and queueing operations produce informative mes‐
25 sages on standard output; these may safely be ignored.
26
28 -s, --split complete-archive [prefix]
29 Splits a single Debian binary package into several parts.
30 The parts are named prefix.NofM.deb where N is the part number,
32 starting at 1, and M is the total number of parts (both in deci‐
33 mal).
34 If no prefix is supplied then the complete-archive filename is
36 taken, including directory, with any trailing .deb removed.
37 -j, --join part...
39 Joins the parts of a package file together, reassembling the
40 original file as it was before it was split.
41 The part files given as arguments must be all the parts of
43 exactly the same original binary file. Each part must occur
44 exactly once in the argument list, though the parts to not need
45 to be listed in order.
46 The parts must of course all have been generated with the same
48 part size specified at split time, which means that they must
49 usually have been generated by the same invocation of dpkg-split
50 --split.
51 The parts' filenames are not significant for the reassembly
53 process.
54 By default the output file is called package-version.deb.
56 -I, --info part...
59 Prints information, in a human-readable format, about the part
60 file(s) specified. Arguments which are not binary package parts
61 produce a message saying so instead (but still on standard out‐
62 put).
63 -a, --auto -o complete-output part
65 Automatically queue parts and reassemble a package if possible.
66 The part specified is examined, and compared with other parts of
68 the same package (if any) in the queue of packages file parts.
69 If all parts of the package file of which part is a part are
71 available then the package is reassembled and written to com‐
72 plete-output (which should not usually already exist, though
73 this is not an error).
74 If not then the part is copied into the queue and complete-out‐
76 put is not created.
77 If part is not a split binary package part then dpkg-split will
79 exit with status 1; if some other trouble occurs then it will
80 exit with status 2.
81 The --output or -o option must be supplied when using --auto.
83 (If this were not mandatory the calling program would not know
84 what output file to expect.)
85 -l, --listq
87 Lists the contents of the queue of packages to be reassembled.
88 For each package file of which parts are in the queue the output
90 gives the name of the package, the parts in the queue, and the
91 total number of bytes stored in the queue.
92 -d, --discard [package...]
94 This discards parts from the queue of those waiting for the
95 remaining parts of their packages.
96 If no package is specified then the queue is cleared completely;
98 if any are specified then only parts of the relevant package(s)
99 are deleted.
100 -h, --help
102 Show the usage message and exit.
103 --version
105 Show the version and exit.
106 --license, --licence
108 Show the copyright licensing terms and exit.
109
111 --depotdir directory
112 Specifies an alternative directory for the queue of parts await‐
113 ing automatic reassembly. The default is /var/lib/dpkg.
114 -S, --partsize kibibytes
116 Specifies the maximum part size when splitting, in kibibytes
117 (1024 bytes). The default is 450 KiB.
118 -o, --output complete-output
120 Specifies the output file name for a reassembly.
121 This overrides the default for a manual reassembly (--join) and
123 is mandatory for an automatic queue-or-reassemble (--auto).
124 -Q, --npquiet
126 When doing automatic queue-or-reassembly dpkg-split usually
127 prints a message if it is given a part that is not a binary
128 package part. This option suppresses this message, to allow pro‐
129 grams such as dpkg to cope with both split and unsplit packages
130 without producing spurious messages.
131 --msdos
133 Forces the output filenames generated by --split to be msdos-
134 compatible.
135 This mangles the prefix - either the default derived from the
137 input filename or the one supplied as an argument: alphanumerics
138 are lowercased, plus signs are replaced by x's and all other
139 characters are discarded.
140 The result is then truncated as much as is necessary, and file‐
142 names of the form prefixNofM.deb are generated.
143
145 An exit status of 0 indicates that the requested split, merge, or other
146 command succeeded. --info commands count as successful even if the
147 files are not binary package parts.
148 An exit status of 1 occurs only with --auto and indicates that the part
150 file was not a binary package part.
151 An exit status of 2 indicates some kind of trouble, such as a system
153 call failure, a file that looked like a package part file but was cor‐
154 rupted, a usage error or some other problem.
155
157 dpkg-split uses some rather out-of-date conventions for the the file‐
158 names of Debian packages.
159 Full details of the packages in the queue are impossible to get without
161 digging into the queue directory yourself.
162 There is no easy way to test whether a file that may be a binary pack‐
164 age part is one.
165 The architecture is not represented in the part files' header, only in
167 the control information of the contained binary package file, and it is
168 not present in the filenames generated.
169
171 /var/lib/dpkg/parts
172 The default queue directory for part files awaiting automatic
173 reassembly.
174 The filenames used in this directory are in a format internal to
176 dpkg-split and are unlikely to be useful to other programs, and
177 in any case the filename format should not be relied upon.
178
180 deb(5), deb-control(5), dpkg-deb(1), dpkg(1).
181
183 Copyright © 1995-1996 Ian Jackson
184 This is free software; see the GNU General Public Licence version 2 or
186 later for copying conditions. There is NO WARRANTY.
187Debian Project 2009-06-26 dpkg-split(1)