# Install debianutils with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, zypper, apk, pacman Miscellaneous utilities specific to Debian. Version 5.23.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install debianutils. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:debianutils ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install debianutils ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install debianutils ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/debianutils/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install debianutils ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: debianutils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#debianutils ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/de/debianutils/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install debianutils ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: debianutils from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add run-parts ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: run-parts from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S run-parts ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: run-parts from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:debianutils - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 5.23.2 - **Source summary:** Miscellaneous utilities specific to Debian - **Homepage:** - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - ischroot (alias) - run-parts (alias) - tempfile (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 5.23.2 ## Project history and usage debianutils is a Debian-native source package for small utilities used primarily by Debian package installation scripts, while still being directly useful to users. Its current control file marks the binary package Essential and lists tools such as add-shell, installkernel, ischroot, remove-shell, run-parts, savelog, update-shells, and which. ### Project history The Debian changelog records debianutils 1.1-1 as an initial release on April 18, 1996 by Guy Maor, with early work around mkboot and run-parts. Over the following decades the package absorbed, retired, restored, or moved utilities as Debian policy, init conventions, merged-/usr work, shell handling, and package-maintainer workflows changed. ### Adoption history Debian Sources lists debianutils across historic Debian releases from hamm and slink through current stable, testing, and unstable suites. The package tracker shows the package in Debian's main archive, and Ubuntu tracks it as a source package as well, reflecting its role as part of Debian-family base-system plumbing rather than a standalone upstream app. ### How it is used The package's most package-nerd-famous command is `run-parts`, which executes matching scripts in a directory in lexical order and under Debian-specific filename rules. `ischroot` reports chroot status by exit code, while the other commands handle shell registration, kernel install hooks, log saving, and related maintainer-script chores. ### Why package nerds care debianutils matters because it is one of those small base packages that exposes Debian policy decisions as executable behavior. Its changelog reads like a compact history of Debian packaging maintenance: usrmerge, alternatives, deprecating and restoring tools, maintainer-script needs, translations, reproducible-build details, and small utilities being kept compatible for decades. ### Timeline - 1996: 1.1-1 initial release of debianutils. - 1998: Debian Sources lists 1.9 in the hamm release. - 2021: 5.x series changed handling around which, tempfile, update-shells, and merged-/usr decisions. - 2025: 5.23.x series updated run-parts and installkernel behavior. ### Related projects - Related Debian-family base packages include sensible-utils, dpkg, debhelper, sysvinit/cron consumers of run-parts conventions, and alternative implementations of individual tools such as GNU which or FreeBSD which. ### Sources - - - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - debianutils - 5.23.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: debianutils from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Miscellaneous utilities specific to Debian - Nix - debianutils: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/de/debianutils/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - debianutils - 5.17build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: debianutils from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Miscellaneous utilities specific to Debian - zypper - debianutils - 5.4-2.11: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: debianutils from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Miscellaneous utilities specific to Debian | https://packages.debian.org/debianutils - MacPorts - debianutils: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: sysutils/debianutils/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - apk - run-parts - 5.23.2-r1: installed executable or alias match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: run-parts from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | run-parts from the debianutils package | https://packages.qa.debian.org/d/debianutils.html - apk - run-parts-doc - 5.23.2-r1: installed executable or alias match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: run-parts-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | run-parts from the debianutils package (documentation) | https://packages.qa.debian.org/d/debianutils.html - pacman - run-parts - 5.23.2-1: installed executable or alias match | Arch Linux sync databases: run-parts from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | run scripts or programs in a directory | https://packages.qa.debian.org/d/debianutils.html ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/debianutils.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/debianutils.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph