1dpkg-divert(1) dpkg suite dpkg-divert(1)
2
6 dpkg-divert - override a package's version of a file
7
9 dpkg-divert [option...] command
10
12 dpkg-divert is the utility used to set up and update the list of
13 diversions.
14 File diversions are a way of forcing dpkg(1) not to install a file into
16 its location, but to a diverted location. Diversions can be used
17 through the Debian package scripts to move a file away when it causes a
18 conflict. System administrators can also use it to override some
19 package's configuration file, or whenever some files (which aren't
20 marked as “conffiles”) need to be preserved by dpkg, when installing a
21 newer version of a package which contains those files.
22
24 [--add] file
25 Add a diversion for file. The file is currently not renamed, see
26 --rename.
27 --remove file
29 Remove a diversion for file. The file is currently not renamed,
30 see --rename.
31 --list glob-pattern
33 List diversions matching glob-pattern.
34 --listpackage file
36 Print the name of the package that diverts file (since dpkg
37 1.15.0). Prints LOCAL if file is locally diverted and nothing if
38 file is not diverted.
39 --truename file
41 Print the real name for a diverted file.
42
44 --admindir directory
45 Set the administrative directory to directory. Defaults to
46 «/var/lib/dpkg».
47 --instdir directory
49 Set the installation directory, which refers to the directory where
50 packages get installed (since dpkg 1.19.2). Defaults to «/».
51 --root directory
53 Set the root directory to directory, which sets the installation
54 directory to «directory» and the administrative directory to
55 «directory/var/lib/dpkg» (since dpkg 1.19.2).
56 --divert divert-to
58 divert-to is the location where the versions of file, as provided
59 by other packages, will be diverted.
60 --local
62 Specifies that all packages' versions of this file are diverted.
63 This means, that there are no exceptions, and whatever package is
64 installed, the file is diverted. This can be used by an admin to
65 install a locally modified version.
66 --package package
68 package is the name of a package whose copy of file will not be
69 diverted. i.e. file will be diverted for all packages except
70 package.
71 --quiet
73 Quiet mode, i.e. no verbose output.
74 --rename
76 Actually move the file aside (or back). dpkg-divert will abort
77 operation in case the destination file already exists. This is the
78 common behavior used for diversions of files from the non-Essential
79 package set (see --no-rename for more details).
80 --no-rename
82 Specifies that the file should not be renamed while adding or
83 removing the diversion into the database (since dpkg 1.19.1). This
84 is intended for diversions of files from the Essential package set,
85 where the temporary disappearance of the original file is not
86 acceptable, as it can render the system non-functional. This is
87 the default behavior, but that will change in the dpkg 1.20.x
88 cycle.
89 --test
91 Test mode, i.e. don't actually perform any changes, just
92 demonstrate.
93 -?, --help
95 Show the usage message and exit.
96 --version
98 Show the version and exit.
99
101 0 The requested action was successfully performed.
102 2 Fatal or unrecoverable error due to invalid command-line usage, or
104 interactions with the system, such as accesses to the database,
105 memory allocations, etc.
106
108 DPKG_ROOT
109 If set and the --instdir or --root options have not been specified,
110 it will be used as the filesystem root directory (since dpkg
111 1.19.2).
112 DPKG_ADMINDIR
114 If set and the --admindir or --root options have not been
115 specified, it will be used as the dpkg data directory.
116 DPKG_MAINTSCRIPT_PACKAGE
118 If set and the --local and --package options have not been
119 specified, dpkg-divert will use it as the package name.
120 DPKG_COLORS
122 Sets the color mode (since dpkg 1.18.5). The currently accepted
123 values are: auto (default), always and never.
124
126 /var/lib/dpkg/diversions
127 File which contains the current list of diversions of the system.
128 It is located in the dpkg administration directory, along with
129 other files important to dpkg, such as status or available.
130 Note: dpkg-divert preserves the old copy of this file, with
132 extension -old, before replacing it with the new one.
133
135 When adding, default is --local and --divert original.distrib. When
136 removing, --package or --local and --divert must match if specified.
137 Directories can't be diverted with dpkg-divert.
139 Care should be taken when diverting shared libraries, ldconfig(8)
141 creates a symbolic link based on the DT_SONAME field embedded in the
142 library. Because ldconfig doesn't honour diverts (only dpkg does), the
143 symlink may end up pointing at the diverted library, if a diverted
144 library has the same SONAME as the undiverted one.
145
147 To divert all copies of a /usr/bin/example to /usr/bin/example.foo,
148 i.e. directs all packages providing /usr/bin/example to install it as
149 /usr/bin/example.foo, performing the rename if required:
150 dpkg-divert --divert /usr/bin/example.foo --rename /usr/bin/example
152 To remove that diversion:
154 dpkg-divert --rename --remove /usr/bin/example
156 To divert any package trying to install /usr/bin/example to
158 /usr/bin/example.foo, except your own wibble package:
159 dpkg-divert --package wibble --divert /usr/bin/example.foo \
161 --rename /usr/bin/example
162 To remove that diversion:
164 dpkg-divert --package wibble --rename --remove /usr/bin/example
166
168 dpkg(1).
1691.20.9 2021-04-13 dpkg-divert(1)