This package contains the low-level commands for handling the installation and removal of packages on your system. In order to unpack and build Debian source packages you will need to install the developers' package `dpkg-dev' as well as this one.
shibu@shibu-laptop:~$ dpkg --help
dpkg -i|--install <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <dir> ... dpkg --unpack <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <dir> ... dpkg -A|--record-avail <.deb file name> ... | -R|--recursive <dir> ... dpkg --configure <package name> ... | -a|--pending dpkg -r|--remove | -P|--purge <package name> ... | -a|--pending dpkg --get-selections [<pattern> ...] get list of selections to stdout dpkg --set-selections set package selections from stdin dpkg --update-avail <Packages-file> replace available packages info dpkg --merge-avail <Packages-file> merge with info from file dpkg --clear-avail erase existing available info dpkg --forget-old-unavail forget uninstalled unavailable pkgs dpkg -s|--status <package-name> ... display package status details dpkg -p|--print-avail <package-name> ... display available version details dpkg -L|--listfiles <package-name> ... list files `owned' by package(s) dpkg -l|--list [<pattern> ...] list packages concisely dpkg -S|--search <pattern> ... find package(s) owning file(s) dpkg -C|--audit check for broken package(s) dpkg --print-architecture print dpkg architecture dpkg --compare-versions <a> <rel> <b> compare version numbers - see below dpkg --help | --version show this help / version number dpkg --force-help | -Dh|--debug=help help on forcing resp. debugging dpkg --licence print copyright licensing terms Use dpkg -b|--build|-c|--contents|-e|--control|-I|--info|-f|--field| -x|--extract|-X|--vextract|--fsys-tarfile on archives (type dpkg-deb --help.) For internal use: dpkg --assert-support-predepends | --predep-package | --assert-working-epoch | --assert-long-filenames | --assert-multi-conrep
--admindir=<directory> Use <directory> instead of /var/lib/dpkg --root=<directory> Install on alternative system rooted elsewhere --instdir=<directory> Change inst'n root without changing admin dir -O|--selected-only Skip packages not selected for install/upgrade -E|--skip-same-version Skip packages whose same version is installed -G|--refuse-downgrade Skip packages with earlier version than installed -B|--auto-deconfigure Install even if it would break some other package --no-debsig Do no try to verify package signatures --no-act|--dry-run|--simulate Just say what we would do - don't do it -D|--debug=<octal> Enable debugging - see -Dhelp or --debug=help --status-fd <n> Send status change updates to file descriptor <n> --log=<filename> Log status changes and actions to <filename> --ignore-depends=<package>,... Ignore dependencies involving <package> --force-... Override problems - see --force-help --no-force-...|--refuse-... Stop when problems encountered --abort-after <n> Abort after encountering <n> errors