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.\"     Title: package-tracker
.\"    Author: [see the "AUTHORS" section]
.\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets v1.79.1 <http://docbook.sf.net/>
.\"      Date: 20170515
.\"    Manual: Open Infrastructure
.\"    Source: package-tracker
.\"  Language: English
.\"
.TH "PACKAGE\-TRACKER" "1" "20170515" "package\-tracker" "Open Infrastructure"
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.SH "NAME"
package-tracker \- Compare and track package versions in debian repositories
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
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\fBpackage\-tracker\fR READ COMPARE [\fIOPTIONS\fR]
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
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\fBpackage\-tracker\fR is designed to compare apt(1) archives from a derrivate (debian extending repositories) against their parent ones\&. As such it is possible to track changes of package versions in other archives\&.
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The comparison mechanism in use is the one from the Python APT library\&. \fBpackage\-tracker\fR checks all binary packages in regards of their source packages\&.
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Traversing multiple suites is done as follows\&.
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\fBstable\fR, \fBstable\-updates\fR, \fBstable\-security\fR are checked against their corresponding suites in the parent archive (source and their binary packages)\&.
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\fBstable\-backports\fR, \fBstable\-backports\-extras\fR are checked agains the unstable (sid) ones (source and their binary packages)\&.
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\fBstable\-extras\fR and \fBstable\-backports\-extras\fR have a check for a existing source package in any of the parent distribution suites\&.
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Within all version checks there is a test for a existing binary Non\-Maintainer Upload (binNMU)\&.
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\fBpackage\-tracker\fR internally uses the default suite names given from apt and does not use codenames\&. Anyway, you may configure package\-tracker with apt sources\&.list files with codenames (see CONFIGURATION for more information)\&. A such it will be assumed, that your (current) archive is in stable release state\&. For a case of a debian freeze, \fBpackage\-tracker\fR will try to use the testing release suites of the parent archive\&. Regardless of a debian repository freeze, your derrivative suites can be also in testing suite state\&.
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The \fB\-\-ignore\-tag\fR parameter is used to bypass the version comparison mechanism of apt\&. It is not been intended to use release tags for a derrivative version naming scheme\&. As such you can specify this version part and \fBpackage\-tracker\fR will strip the tag from the end of each version string before using apt library comparison function\&. For example;
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
.\}
.nf
foo\-1\&.2\-4 (a debian upstream package)
foo\-1\&.1\-1~myderrivative1 (backports package from a debian derrivative)
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}
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As such package foo\-1\&.1\-1 will be compared against foo\-1\&.2\-4\&.
.SH "OPTIONS"
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The following package\-tracker common options are available:
.PP
\fB\fIREAD\fR\fR
.RS 4
Specify apt sources file wich will been read to compare\&. See CONFIGURATION for more information\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB\fICOMPARE\fR\fR
.RS 4
Specify apt souces file wich will been compared against\&. See CONFIGURATION for more information\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB\-t, \-\-filter\-type=\fR\fB\fI{all|lower|obsolete|ok}\fR\fR
.RS 4
Specify a filter for items to display\&. Defaults to all\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB\-o, \-\-output\-type=\fR\fB\fI{stdout|html}\fR\fR
.RS 4
Output defaults to stdout\&. A html report can be written to a file\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB\-f, \-\-file=\fR\fB\fIFILE\fR\fR
.RS 4
Specify file name to write a report to\&. Defaults to report\&.html in current working directory\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB\-i, \-\-ignore\-tag=\fR\fB\fISTRING\fR\fR
.RS 4
In case of packages with additional version tag, this string will been regarded like a revision tag\&. As such it will been not regarded in time of the version comparison against the parent archive\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB\-v, \-\-verbose\fR
.RS 4
Print more information\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB\-d, \-\-debug\fR
.RS 4
Set log level to DEBUG instead of INFO\&.
.RE
.SH "CONFIGURATION"
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\fBpackage\-tracker\fR uses sources\&.list(5) configuration files, as used by apt(1)\&. Archives from \fIREAD\fR configuration file will be compared against the archives in \fICOMPARE\fR\&. There is no need to include apt\-src repositories\&.
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There is no limitation in comparison to default apt sources\&.list(5) files usage\&. You may have to ensure to define same components for the to read and the compare configuration files\&. To ensure that \fBpackage\-tracker\fR can check against the unstable (sid) release packages, include this one in your configuration file\&.
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See /usr/share/doc/package\-tracker for configuration examples\&.
.SH "FILES"
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The following files/directories are used:
.PP
\fB/etc/package\-tracker/\fR*\fB\&.list\fR
.RS 4
Apt sources configuration files\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB/var/lib/package\-tracker\fR
.RS 4
This is a separated directory for apt to ensure to not use default apt instance on your host\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB/var/log/package\-tracker/package\-tracker\&.log\fR
.RS 4
This is were the log file is placed\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB/usr/share/package\-tracker/templates/report\&.html\fR
.RS 4
HTML template wich will been used to generate the report\&. Can be modified for your own use\&.
.RE
.PP
\fB/usr/share/doc/package\-tracker\fR
.RS 4
Configuration examples\&.
.RE
.SH "SEE ALSO"
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package\-tracker(7), apt(1), sources\&.list(5)\&.
.SH "HOMEPAGE"
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More information about package\-tracker and the Open Infrastructure project can be found on the homepage at https://open\-infrastructure\&.net\&.
.SH "CONTACT"
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Bug reports, feature requests, help, patches, support and everything else are welcome on the Open Infrastructure Software Mailing List <software@lists\&.open\-infrastructure\&.net>\&.
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Debian specific bugs can also be reported in the Debian Bug Tracking System at https://bugs\&.debian\&.org\&.
.SH "AUTHORS"
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package\-tracker was written by Andreas Kreuzer <andreas\&.kreuzer@open\-infrastructure\&.net>\&.