How to create a .deb file from installed package?

Question

You can install a .deb package file onto a system by using dpkg -i filename.deb.

Is it possible to do the reverse? By reverse, I mean create a .deb package file from an installed package given a package name?

check this https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/build.en.html — Faizan Akram Dar, Mar 04 '15 at 07:35
You should already have the .deb file in /var/cache/apt/archives — Doug Smythies, Mar 04 '15 at 07:43

score 51 · Accepted Answer · edited May 27 '20 at 22:05

51

Install dpkg-repack package:

sudo apt-get install dpkg-repack

Example usage:- dpkg-repack gparted

replace gparted with your package_name

edited May 27 '20 at 22:05

Tom-db

answered Mar 04 '15 at 07:45

Panta

an example would be great ;) – Postadelmaga Mar 25 '15 at 01:25
@postadelmanga if you wanted to repack an independently installed program you may run `sudo dpkg-repack vlc` for say the vlc player. however, i do not know about other packages with dependencies and everything else. – Aditya Soni Oct 25 '15 at 12:52
3

You can use `fakeroot -u dpkg-repack gparted` to run it without root privileges, if your user can read all files of the package you want to rebuild. – Selivanov Pavel Mar 07 '17 at 12:58

1 Answers1