dpkg/man/dpkg-divert.8

.\" dpkg manual page - dpkg-divert(8)
.\"
.\" Copyright © 1995 Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.chu.cam.ac.uk>
.\" Copyright © 1999 Wichert Akkerman <wakkerma@debian.org>
.\" Copyright © 2004 Scott James Remnant <keybuk@debian.org>
.\" Copyright © 2007-2011 Guillem Jover <guillem@debian.org>
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.
.TH dpkg\-divert 8 "2011-08-14" "Debian Project" "dpkg utilities"
.SH NAME
dpkg\-divert \- override a package's version of a file
.
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B dpkg\-divert
.RI [ option ...]
.I command
.
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B dpkg\-divert
is the utility used to set up and update the list of diversions.
.PP
File \fIdiversions\fP are a way of forcing
.BR dpkg (1)
not to install a file into its
location, but to a \fIdiverted\fP location. Diversions can be used through the
Debian package scripts to move a file away when it causes a conflict. System
administrators can also use it to override some package's configuration
file, or whenever some files (which aren't marked as 'conffiles') need to be
preserved by \fBdpkg\fP, when installing a newer version of a package which
contains those files.
.sp
.SH COMMANDS
.TP
.RB [ \-\-add "] \fIfile\fP"
Add a diversion for \fIfile\fP.
.TP
.BI \-\-remove " file"
Remove a diversion for \fIfile\fP.
.TP
.BI \-\-list " glob-pattern"
List diversions matching \fIglob-pattern\fP.
.TP
.BI \-\-listpackage " file"
Print the name of the package that diverts \fIfile\fP.  Prints LOCAL if
\fIfile\fP is locally diverted and nothing if \fIfile\fP is not diverted.
.TP
.BI \-\-truename " file"
Print the real name for a diverted file.
.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.BI \-\-admindir " directory"
Set the \fBdpkg\fP data directory to \fIdirectory\fP (default:
\fI/var/lib/dpkg\fP).
.TP
.BI \-\-divert " divert-to"
\fIdivert-to\fP is the location where the versions of \fIfile\fP, as
provided by other packages, will be diverted.
.TP
.B \-\-local
Specifies that all packages' versions of this file are diverted.
This means, that there are no exceptions, and whatever package is installed,
the file is diverted. This can be used by an admin to install a locally
modified version.
.TP
.BI \-\-package " package"
\fIpackage\fP is the name of a package whose copy of \fIfile\fP will not
be diverted. i.e. \fIfile\fP will be diverted for all packages except
\fIpackage\fP.
.TP
.B \-\-quiet
Quiet mode, i.e. no verbose output.
.TP
.B \-\-rename
Actually move the file aside (or back). \fBdpkg\-divert\fP will abort operation
in case the destination file already exists.
.TP
.B \-\-test
Test mode, i.e. don't actually perform any changes, just demonstrate.
.TP
.BR \-? ", " \-\-help
Show the usage message and exit.
.TP
.B \-\-version
Show the version and exit.
.
.SH ENVIRONMENT
.TP
.B DPKG_ADMINDIR
If set and the \fB\-\-admindir\fP option has not been specified, it will
be used as the \fBdpkg\fP data directory.
.TP
.B DPKG_MAINTSCRIPT_PACKAGE
If set and the \fB\-\-local\fP and \fB\-\-package\fP options have not been
specified, \fBdpkg\-divert\fP will use it as the package name.
.
.SH FILES
.TP
.I /var/lib/dpkg/diversions
File which contains the current list of diversions of the system. It is
located in the \fBdpkg\fP administration directory, along with other files
important to \fBdpkg\fP, such as \fIstatus\fP or \fIavailable\fP.
.br
Note: \fBdpkg\-divert\fP preserves the old copy of this file, with extension
\fI\-old\fP, before replacing it with the new one.
.
.SH NOTES
When adding, default is \fB\-\-local\fP and \fB\-\-divert\fP
\fIoriginal\fP\fB.distrib\fP. When removing, \fB\-\-package\fP or
\fB\-\-local\fP and \fB\-\-divert\fP must match if specified.

Directories can't be diverted with \fBdpkg\-divert\fP.

Care should be taken when diverting shared libraries, \fBldconfig\fP(8)
creates a symbolic link based on the DT_SONAME field embedded in the library.
Because \fBldconfig\fP doesn't honour diverts (only \fBdpkg\fP does),
the symlink may end up pointing at the diverted library, if a diverted
library has the same SONAME as the undiverted one.
.
.SH EXAMPLES
To divert all copies of a \fI/usr/bin/example\fR to \fI/usr/bin/example.foo\fR,
i.e. directs all packages providing \fI/usr/bin/example\fR to install it as
\fI/usr/bin/example.foo\fR, performing the rename if required:
.HP
dpkg\-divert \-\-divert /usr/bin/example.foo \-\-rename /usr/bin/example
.PP
To remove that diversion:
.HP
dpkg\-divert \-\-rename \-\-remove /usr/bin/example

.PP
To divert any package trying to install \fI/usr/bin/example\fR to
\fI/usr/bin/example.foo\fR, except your own \fIwibble\fR package:
.HP
dpkg\-divert \-\-package wibble \-\-divert /usr/bin/example.foo \-\-rename /usr/bin/example
.PP
To remove that diversion:
.HP
dpkg\-divert \-\-package wibble \-\-rename \-\-remove /usr/bin/example
.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR dpkg (1).