NAME

       deb-symbols - Debian's extended shared library information file

SYNOPSIS

       symbols

DESCRIPTION

       The format for an extended shared library dependency information entry in these files is:

       library-soname main-dependency-template
       [| alternative-dependency-template]
       [...]
       [* field-name: field-value]
       [...]
        symbol minimal-version [id-of-dependency-template]

       The  library-soname  is exactly the value of the SONAME field as exported by objdump(1). A
       dependency-template is a dependency where #MINVER# is dynamically  replaced  either  by  a
       version  check  like "(>= minimal-version)" or by nothing (if an unversioned dependency is
       deemed sufficient).

       Each exported symbol (listed as name@version, with version being "Base" if the library  is
       not  versioned)  is  associated  to a minimal-version of its dependency template (the main
       dependency template is used  if  id-of-dependency-template  is  not  present).  The  first
       alternative dependency template is numbered 1, the second one 2, etc.

       Each  entry for a library can also have some fields of meta-information.  Those fields are
       stored  on  lines  starting  with  an  asterisk.  Currently,  the  only  valid  field   is
       Build-Depends-Package,  it  indicates  the  name  of  the "-dev" package associated to the
       library and is used by dpkg-shlibdeps to make sure that the  dependency  generated  is  at
       least as strict as the corresponding build dependency.

EXAMPLES

   Simple symbols file
       libftp.so.3 libftp3 #MINVER#
        DefaultNetbuf@Base 3.1-1-6
        FtpAccess@Base 3.1-1-6
        [...]

   Advanced symbols file
       libGL.so.1 libgl1
       | libgl1-mesa-glx #MINVER#
       * Build-Depends-Package: libgl1-mesa-dev
        publicGlSymbol@Base 6.3-1
        [...]
        implementationSpecificSymbol@Base 6.5.2-7 1
        [...]

SEE ALSO

       https://wiki.debian.org/Projects/ImprovedDpkgShlibdeps
       dpkg-shlibdeps(1), dpkg-gensymbols(1).