NAME

       debdiff - compare file lists in two Debian packages

SYNOPSIS

       debdiff [options]
       debdiff [options] ... deb1 deb2
       debdiff [options] ... changes1 changes2
       debdiff [options] ... --from deb1a deb1b ...  --to deb2a deb2b ...
       debdiff [options] ... dsc1 dsc2

DESCRIPTION

       debdiff  takes the names of two Debian package files (.debs or .udebs) on the command line
       and compares their contents (considering only the files  in  the  main  package,  not  the
       maintenance scripts).  It shows which files have been introduced and which removed between
       the two package files, and is therefore useful for spotting  files  which  may  have  been
       inadvertently  lost  between revisions of the package.  It also checks the file owners and
       permissions, and compares the control files of the two packages using the  wdiff  program.
       If  you  want  a  deeper comparison of two Debian package files you can use the diffoscope
       tool.

       If no arguments are given, debdiff tries to compare the  content  of  the  current  source
       directory with the last version of the package.

       debdiff can also handle changes between groups of .deb files in two ways.  The first is to
       specify two .changes files.  In this case, the .deb files listed in the .changes file will
       be  compared,  by taking the contents of all of the listed .deb files together.  (The .deb
       files listed are assumed to be in the same directory as the .changes  file.)   The  second
       way  is  to list the .deb files of interest specifically using the --from ... --to syntax.
       These both help if a package is broken up into smaller packages and one wishes  to  ensure
       that nothing is lost in the interim.

       debdiff  examines  the  devscripts  configuration  files as described below.  Command line
       options override the configuration file settings, though.

       If debdiff is passed two source packages (.dsc files) it will compare the contents of  the
       source  packages.   If the source packages differ only in Debian revision number (that is,
       the .orig.tar.gz files are the same in the two .dsc files), then interdiff(1) will be used
       to  compare  the  two  patch files if this program is available on the system, otherwise a
       diff will be performed between the two source trees.

OPTIONS

       --dirs, -d
              The default mode of operation is to ignore directory names which appear in the file
              list, but they, too, will be considered if this option is given.

       --nodirs
              Ignore  directory  names which appear in the file list.  This is the default and it
              can be used to override a configuration file setting.

       --move FROM TO, -m FROM TO
              It sometimes occurs that various files or  directories  are  moved  around  between
              revisions.   This  can  be handled using this option.  There are two arguments, the
              first giving the location of the directory or file in the first  package,  and  the
              second  in  the  second.  Any files in the first listing whose names begin with the
              first argument are treated as having that substituted for the second argument  when
              the file lists are compared.  Any number of --move arguments may be given; they are
              processed in the order in which they appear. This  only  affects  comparing  binary
              packages, not source packages.

       --move-regex FROM TO
              This is the same as --move, except that FROM is treated as a regular expression and
              the perl substitution command s/^FROM/TO/ is applied to the files.  In  particular,
              TO can make use of backreferences such as $1.

       --nocontrol
              debdiff  will  usually  compare  the respective control files of the packages using
              wdiff(1).  This option suppresses this part of the processing.

       --control
              Compare the respective control files; this is the default, and it can  be  used  to
              override a configuration file setting.

       --controlfiles FILE[,FILE ...]
              Specify  which control files to compare; by default this is just control, but could
              include postinst, config and so on.  Files  will  only  be  compared  if  they  are
              present  in  both .debs being compared.  The special value ALL compares all control
              files present in both packages, except for md5sums.  This option  can  be  used  to
              override a configuration file setting.

       --wdiff-source-control
              When  processing source packages, compare control files using wdiff.  Equivalent to
              the --control option for binary packages.

       --no-wdiff-source-control
              Do not compare control files in source packages using wdfiff.  This is the default.

       --wp, --wl, --wt
              Pass a -p, -l or -t option to wdiff respectively.  (This  yields  the  whole  wdiff
              output rather than just the lines with any changes.)

       --show-moved
              If  multiple  .deb  files  are specified on the command line, either using .changes
              files or the --from/--to syntax, then this option will also show  which  files  (if
              any)  have  moved  between packages.  (The package names are simply determined from
              the names of the .deb files.)

       --noshow-moved
              The default behaviour; can be used to override a configuration file setting.

       --renamed FROM TO
              If --show-moved is being used and a package has been renamed in the  process,  this
              command  instructs debdiff to treat the package in the first list called FROM as if
              it were called TO.  Multiple uses of this option are permitted.

       --exclude PATTERN
              Exclude files that match PATTERN.  Multiple uses of this option are permitted.

       --diffstat
              Include the result of diffstat before the generated diff.

       --no-diffstat
              The default behaviour; can be used to override a configuration file setting.

       --auto-ver-sort
              When comparing source packages, do so in version order.

       --no-auto-ver-sort
              Compare source packages in the order they were passed on the command-line, even  if
              that  means  comparing  a  package  with  a higher version against one with a lower
              version.  This is the default behaviour.

       --unpack-tarballs
              When comparing source packages, also unpack tarballs found in the top level  source
              directory  to  compare  their  contents  along  with  the other files.  This is the
              default behaviour.

       --no-unpack-tarballs
              Do not unpack tarballs inside source packages.

       --no-conf, --noconf
              Do not read any configuration files.  This can only be used  as  the  first  option
              given on the command-line.

       --debs-dir directory
              Look for the .dsc files in directory instead of the parent of the source directory.
              This should either be an absolute path  or  relative  to  the  top  of  the  source
              directory.

       --help, -h
              Show a summary of options.

       --version, -v
              Show version and copyright information.

       --quiet, -q
              Be quiet if no differences were found.

       --ignore-space, -w
              Ignore whitespace in diffs.

CONFIGURATION VARIABLES

       The  two configuration files /etc/devscripts.conf and ~/.devscripts are sourced by a shell
       in that order to set configuration  variables.   Command  line  options  can  be  used  to
       override  configuration file settings.  Environment variable settings are ignored for this
       purpose.  The currently recognised variables are:

       DEBDIFF_DIRS
              If this is set to yes, then it is the same as the  --dirs  command  line  parameter
              being used.

       DEBDIFF_CONTROL
              If this is set to no, then it is the same as the --nocontrol command line parameter
              being used.  The default is yes.

       DEBDIFF_CONTROLFILES
              Which control files to compare, corresponding to the  --controlfiles  command  line
              option.  The default is control.

       DEBDIFF_SHOW_MOVED
              If  this  is  set  to  yes,  then  it  is the same as the --show-moved command line
              parameter being used.

       DEBDIFF_WDIFF_OPT
              This option will be passed to wdiff; it should be one of -p, -l or -t.

       DEBDIFF_SHOW_DIFFSTAT
              If this is set to yes, then it is the same as the --diffstat command line parameter
              being used.

       DEBDIFF_WDIFF_SOURCE_CONTROL
              If  this  is  set to yes, then it is the same as the --wdiff-source-control command
              line parameter being used.

       DEBDIFF_AUTO_VER_SORT
              If this is set to yes, then it is the same  as  the  --auto-ver-sort  command  line
              parameter being used.

       DEBDIFF_UNPACK_TARBALLS
              If  this is set to no, then it is the same as the --no-unpack-tarballs command line
              parameter being used.

       DEBRELEASE_DEBS_DIR
              This specifies the directory in which to look for the .dsc and files, and is either
              an  absolute  path  or relative to the top of the source tree.  This corresponds to
              the --debs-dir command line option.  This directive could be used, for example,  if
              you  always  use pbuilder or svn-buildpackage to build your packages.  Note that it
              also affects debrelease(1) in the same way, hence the strange name of the option.

EXIT VALUES

       Normally the exit value will be 0 if  no  differences  are  reported  and  1  if  any  are
       reported.  If there is some fatal error, the exit code will be 255.

SEE ALSO

       diffstat(1), dpkg-deb(1), interdiff(1), wdiff(1), devscripts.conf(5), diffoscope(1)

AUTHOR

       debdiff  was  originally  written as a shell script by Yann Dirson <dirson@debian.org> and
       rewritten in Perl with many more features by Julian Gilbey <jdg@debian.org>.  The software
       may  be  freely  redistributed  under  the  terms and conditions of the GNU General Public
       License, version 2.