CPack DEB Generator — CMake 4.2.6 Documentation

# CPack DEB Generator

The built in (binary) CPack DEB generator (Unix only)

## Variables specific to CPack Debian (DEB) generator

The CPack DEB generator may be used to create DEB package using `CPack`. The CPack DEB generator is a `CPack` generator thus it uses the `CPACK_XXX` variables used by `CPack`.

The CPack DEB generator should work on any Linux host but it will produce better deb package when Debian specific tools `dpkg-xxx` are usable on the build system.

The CPack DEB generator has specific features which are controlled by the specifics `CPACK_DEBIAN_XXX` variables.

`CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_XXXX` variables may be used in order to have component specific values. Note however that `<COMPONENT>` refers to the grouping name written in upper case. It may be either a component name or a component GROUP name.

Here are some CPack DEB generator wiki resources that are here for historic reasons and are no longer maintained but may still prove useful:

- https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/community/-/wikis/doc/cpack/Configuration

- https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/community/-/wikis/doc/cpack/PackageGenerators#deb-unix-only

List of CPack DEB generator specific variables:

CPACK_DEB_COMPONENT_INSTALL

  Enable component packaging for CPackDEB

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    `OFF`

  If enabled (`ON`) multiple packages are generated. By default a single package containing files of all components is generated.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_NAME
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_NAME

  Set Package control field (variable is automatically transformed to lower case).

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    - `CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME` for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_NAME` suffixed with `-<COMPONENT>` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.5: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_NAME` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-controlfields.html#s-f-source

CPACK_DEBIAN_FILE_NAME
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_FILE_NAME

  Added in version 3.6.

  Package file name.

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    `<CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME>[-<component>].deb`

  This may be set to:

  `DEB-DEFAULT`

    Tell CPack to automatically generate the package file name in deb format:

        <PackageName>_<VersionNumber>-<DebianRevisionNumber>_<DebianArchitecture>.deb

    This setting recommended as the preferred behavior, but for backward compatibility with the CPack DEB generator in CMake prior to version 3.6, this is not the default. Without this, duplicate names may occur. Duplicate files get overwritten and it is up to the packager to set the variables in a manner that will prevent such errors.

  `<file-name>[.deb]`

    Use the given file name.

    Changed in version 3.29: The `.deb` suffix will be automatically added if the file name does not end in `.deb` or `.ipk`. Previously the suffix was required.

  `<file-name>.ipk`

    Added in version 3.10.

    Use the given file name. The `.ipk` suffix is used by the OPKG packaging system.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_EPOCH

  Added in version 3.10.

  The Debian package epoch

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    None

  Optional number that should be incremented when changing versioning schemas or fixing mistakes in the version numbers of older packages.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_VERSION

  The Debian package version

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    `CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION`

  This variable may contain only alphanumerics (A-Za-z0-9) and the characters . + - ~ (full stop, plus, hyphen, tilde) and should start with a digit. If `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_RELEASE` is not set then hyphens are not allowed.

  Note

  For backward compatibility with CMake 3.9 and lower a failed test of this variable's content is not a hard error when both `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_RELEASE` and `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_EPOCH` variables are not set. An author warning is reported instead.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_RELEASE

  Added in version 3.6.

  The Debian package release - Debian revision number.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    None

  This is the numbering of the DEB package itself, i.e. the version of the packaging and not the version of the content (see `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_VERSION`). One may change the default value if the previous packaging was buggy and/or you want to put here a fancy Linux distro specific numbering.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_ARCHITECTURE
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_ARCHITECTURE

  The Debian package architecture

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    Output of `dpkg --print-architecture` (or `i386` if `dpkg` is not found)

  Added in version 3.6: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_ARCHITECTURE` variables.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_DEPENDS

  Sets the Debian dependencies of this package.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.3: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_DEPENDS` variables.

  Note

  If `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS` or more specifically `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS` is set for this component, the discovered dependencies will be appended to `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_DEPENDS` instead of `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS`. If `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_DEPENDS` is an empty string, only the automatically discovered dependencies will be set for this component.

  Changed in version 3.31: The variable is always expanded as a list. Before it was expanded only if used in cooperation with `CPACK_DEB_COMPONENT_INSTALL`, `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS` or `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS`. This meant that if a component had no shared libraries discovered (e.g. a package composed only of scripts) you had to join the list by yourself to obtain a valid Depends field.

  Example:

      set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "libc6 (>= 2.3.1-6), libc6 (< 2.4)")
      list(APPEND CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS cmake)

CPACK_DEBIAN_ENABLE_COMPONENT_DEPENDS

  Added in version 3.6.

  Sets inter-component dependencies if listed with `CPACK_COMPONENT_<compName>_DEPENDS` variables.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    None

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_MAINTAINER

  The Debian package maintainer

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    `CPACK_PACKAGE_CONTACT`

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_DESCRIPTION

  The Debian package description

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_DESCRIPTION` (component based installers only) if set, or `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION` if set, or

    - `CPACK_COMPONENT_<compName>_DESCRIPTION` (component based installers only) if set, or `CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION` if set, or

    - content of the file specified in `CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_FILE` if set

  If after that description is not set, `CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY` going to be used if set. Otherwise, `CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY` will be added as the first line of description as defined in Debian Policy Manual.

  Added in version 3.3: Per-component `CPACK_COMPONENT_<compName>_DESCRIPTION` variables.

  Added in version 3.16: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_DESCRIPTION` variables.

  Added in version 3.16: The `CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_FILE` variable.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SECTION
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SECTION

  Set Section control field e.g. admin, devel, doc, ...

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    `devel`

  Added in version 3.5: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SECTION` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-archive.html#s-subsections

CPACK_DEBIAN_ARCHIVE_TYPE

  Added in version 3.7.

  Deprecated since version 3.14.

  The archive format used for creating the Debian package.

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    `gnutar`

  Possible value is: `gnutar`

  Note

  This variable previously defaulted to the `paxr` value, but `dpkg` has never supported that tar format. For backwards compatibility the `paxr` value will be mapped to `gnutar` and a deprecation message will be emitted.

CPACK_DEBIAN_COMPRESSION_TYPE

  Added in version 3.1.

  The compression used for creating the Debian package.

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    `gzip`

  Possible values are:

  > `lzma`

  >   Lempel–Ziv–Markov chain algorithm

  > `xz`

  >   XZ Utils compression

  > `bzip2`

  >   bzip2 Burrows–Wheeler algorithm

  > `gzip`

  >   GNU Gzip compression

  > `zstd`

  >   Added in version 3.22.

  >   Zstandard compression

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_PRIORITY
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_PRIORITY

  Set Priority control field e.g. required, important, standard, optional, extra

  Mandatory:

    Yes

  Default:

    `optional`

  Added in version 3.5: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_PRIORITY` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-archive.html#s-priorities

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_HOMEPAGE

  The URL of the web site for this package, preferably (when applicable) the site from which the original source can be obtained and any additional upstream documentation or information may be found.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    `CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL`

  Added in version 3.12: The `CMAKE_PROJECT_HOMEPAGE_URL` variable.

  Note

  The content of this field is a simple URL without any surrounding characters such as <>.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS

  May be set to ON in order to use `dpkg-shlibdeps` to generate better package dependency list.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS` if set or

    - `OFF`

  Note

  You may need set `CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH` to an appropriate value if you use this feature, because if you don't `dpkg-shlibdeps` may fail to find your own shared libs. See https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/community/-/wikis/doc/cmake/RPATH-handling

  Note

  You can also set `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS_PRIVATE_DIRS` to an appropriate value if you use this feature, in order to please `dpkg-shlibdeps`. However, you should only do this for private shared libraries that could not get resolved otherwise.

  Added in version 3.3: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS` variables.

  Added in version 3.6: Correct handling of `$ORIGIN` in `CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH`.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS_PRIVATE_DIRS

  Added in version 3.20.

  May be set to a list of directories that will be given to `dpkg-shlibdeps` via its `-l` option. These will be searched by `dpkg-shlibdeps` in order to find private shared library dependencies.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    None

  Note

  You should prefer to set `CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH` to an appropriate value if you use `dpkg-shlibdeps`. The current option is really only needed for private shared library dependencies.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEBUG

  May be set when invoking cpack in order to trace debug information during the CPack DEB generator run.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    None

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_PREDEPENDS
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_PREDEPENDS

  Sets the `Pre-Depends` field of the Debian package. Like `Depends`, except that it also forces `dpkg` to complete installation of the packages named before even starting the installation of the package which declares the pre-dependency.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_PREDEPENDS` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_PREDEPENDS` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-binarydeps

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_ENHANCES
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_ENHANCES

  Sets the `Enhances` field of the Debian package. Similar to `Suggests` but works in the opposite direction: declares that a package can enhance the functionality of another package.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_ENHANCES` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_ENHANCES` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-binarydeps

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_BREAKS
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_BREAKS

  Sets the `Breaks` field of the Debian package. When a binary package (P) declares that it breaks other packages (B), `dpkg` will not allow the package (P) which declares `Breaks` be unpacked unless the packages that will be broken (B) are deconfigured first. As long as the package (P) is configured, the previously deconfigured packages (B) cannot be reconfigured again.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_BREAKS` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_BREAKS` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-breaks

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_CONFLICTS
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_CONFLICTS

  Sets the `Conflicts` field of the Debian package. When one binary package declares a conflict with another using a `Conflicts` field, `dpkg` will not allow them to be unpacked on the system at the same time.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_CONFLICTS` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_CONFLICTS` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-conflicts

  Note

  This is a stronger restriction than `Breaks`, which prevents the broken package from being configured while the breaking package is in the "Unpacked" state but allows both packages to be unpacked at the same time.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_PROVIDES
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_PROVIDES

  Sets the `Provides` field of the Debian package. A virtual package is one which appears in the `Provides` control field of another package.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_PROVIDES` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_PROVIDES` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-virtual

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_REPLACES
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_REPLACES

  Sets the `Replaces` field of the Debian package. Packages can declare in their control file that they should overwrite files in certain other packages, or completely replace other packages.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_REPLACES` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_REPLACES` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-binarydeps

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_RECOMMENDS
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_RECOMMENDS

  Sets the `Recommends` field of the Debian package. Allows packages to declare a strong, but not absolute, dependency on other packages.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_RECOMMENDS` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_RECOMMENDS` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-binarydeps

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SUGGESTS
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SUGGESTS

  Sets the `Suggests` field of the Debian package. Allows packages to declare a suggested package install grouping.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SUGGESTS` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SUGGESTS` variables.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-relationships.html#s-binarydeps

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_GENERATE_SHLIBS

  Added in version 3.6.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    `OFF`

  Allows to generate shlibs control file automatically. Compatibility is defined by `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_GENERATE_SHLIBS_POLICY` variable value.

  Note

  Libraries are only considered if they have both library name and version set. This can be done by setting SOVERSION property with `set_target_properties()` command.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_GENERATE_SHLIBS_POLICY

  Added in version 3.6.

  Compatibility policy for auto-generated shlibs control file.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    `=`

  Defines compatibility policy for auto-generated shlibs control file. Possible values: `=`, `>=`

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-sharedlibs.html#s-sharedlibs-shlibdeps

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_CONTROL_EXTRA
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_CONTROL_EXTRA

  This variable allow advanced user to add custom script to the control.tar.gz. Typical usage is for conffiles, postinst, postrm, prerm.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    None

  Usage:

      set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_CONTROL_EXTRA
          "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/prerm;${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/postrm")

  Added in version 3.4: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_CONTROL_EXTRA` variables.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_CONTROL_STRICT_PERMISSION
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_CONTROL_STRICT_PERMISSION

  Added in version 3.4.

  This variable indicates if the Debian policy on control files should be strictly followed.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    `FALSE`

  Usage:

      set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_CONTROL_STRICT_PERMISSION TRUE)

  This overrides the permissions on the original files, following the rules set by Debian policy https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-files.html#s-permissions-owners

  Note

  The original permissions of the files will be used in the final package unless this variable is set to `TRUE`. In particular, the scripts should have the proper executable flag prior to the generation of the package.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SOURCE
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_SOURCE

  Added in version 3.5.

  Sets the `Source` field of the binary Debian package. When the binary package name is not the same as the source package name (in particular when several components/binaries are generated from one source) the source from which the binary has been generated should be indicated with the field `Source`.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SOURCE` for component-based installations.

  See https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-controlfields.html#s-f-source

  Note

  This value is not interpreted. It is possible to pass an optional revision number of the referenced source package as well.

CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_MULTIARCH
CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_MULTIARCH

  Sets the `Multi-Arch` field of the Debian package. Packages can declare in their control file how they should handle situations, where packages for different architectures are being installed on the same machine.

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    - An empty string for non-component based installations

    - `CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_MULTIARCH` for component-based installations.

  Added in version 3.31: Per-component `CPACK_DEBIAN_<COMPONENT>_PACKAGE_MULTIARCH` variables.

  See https://wiki.debian.org/MultiArch/Hints

  Note

  This value is validated. It must be one of the following values: `same`, `foreign`, `allowed`.

## Packaging of debug information

Added in version 3.13.

Dbgsym packages contain debug symbols for debugging packaged binaries.

Dbgsym packaging has its own set of variables:

CPACK_DEBIAN_DEBUGINFO_PACKAGE
CPACK_DEBIAN_<component>_DEBUGINFO_PACKAGE

  Enable generation of dbgsym .ddeb package(s).

  Mandatory:

    No

  Default:

    `OFF`

Note

Setting this also strips the ELF files in the generated non-dbgsym package, which results in debuginfo only being available in the dbgsym package.

Note

Binaries must contain debug symbols before packaging so use either `Debug` or `RelWithDebInfo` for `CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE` variable value.

Additionally, if `CPACK_STRIP_FILES` is set, the files will be stripped before they get to the DEB generator, so will not contain debug symbols and a dbgsym package will not get built. Do not use with `CPACK_STRIP_FILES`.

## Building Debian packages on Windows

Added in version 3.10.

To communicate UNIX file permissions from the install stage to the CPack DEB generator the `cmake_mode_t` NTFS alternate data stream (ADT) is used.

When a filesystem without ADT support is used only owner read/write permissions can be preserved.

## Reproducible packages

Added in version 3.13.

The environment variable `SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH` may be set to a UNIX timestamp, defined as the number of seconds, excluding leap seconds, since 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC. If set, the CPack DEB generator will use its value for timestamps in the package.