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apt-listchanges

NAME

SYNOPSIS

apt-listchanges [options ... ] {--apt | package.deb ... }  

DESCRIPTION

apt-listchanges is a tool to show what has been changed in a new version of a Debian package, as compared to the version currently installed on the system.

It does this by extracting the relevant entries from the Debian changelog file, usually found in /usr/doc/package/changelog.Debian.gz, from Debian package archives.
 

Given a set of filenames as arguments (or read from apt when using --apt), apt-listchanges will scan the files (assumed to be Debian package archives) for the relevant changelog entries, and display them all in a summary, sorted by urgency.
   

OPTIONS

--apt         

Read filenames from a specially-formatted pipeline (as
provided by apt), rather than from command line arguments, and honor certain apt-specific options in the config file. This pipeline must be in "version 2" format, specified in the apt configuration.
 

-v, --verbose  

Display additional (usually unwanted) information.
For instance, print a message when a package of the same or older version is to be installed, or when a package is to be newly installed.
 

-f, --frontend         

Select which frontend to use to display information to the
user. Current frontends include:
 

pager

Uses your favorite pager to display output.
 

browser

Displays an HTML-formatted changelog using a web browser, with hyperlinks for bugs and email addresses. If the environment variable APT_LISTCHANGES_BROWSER_PIPE is set, it will be executed and fed input via stdin. Otherwise, if APT_LISTCHANGES_BROWSER or BROWSER is set, it is executed and fed a file: URL to a temporary file. If none of these environment variables are set, some common browsers will be searched for.
 

xterm-pager

Uses your favorite pager to display output, but does so in an xterm in the background. This allows you to go on with the upgrade if you like, and continue to browse the changelogs.
 

xterm-browser

The logical combination of xterm-pager and browser. Only appropriate for text-mode browsers.
 

text

Dumps output to stdout, with no pauses.
 

none

Does nothing. Primarily for use with the --email-address option.
 

--email-address=address

In addition to displaying it, mail a copy of the changelog data to the specified address. To only mail changelog entries, use this option with the special frontend 'none'.
 

-c, --confirm

Once changelogs have been displayed, ask the user whether or not to proceed. If the user chooses not to proceed, a nonzero exit status will be returned, and apt will abort.
 

-a, --all

Rather than trying to display changelog entries that are newer than the currently installed version of the package, simply display all changelog entries for all packages. This is useful for viewing the entire changelog of a .deb before extracting it.
 

--save_seen=file

This option will cause apt-listchanges to keep track of the last version of a package for which changelogs have been displayed, to avoid redisplaying the same changelogs in a future invocation. The database is stored in the named file. Specify 'none' to disable this feature.
 

--help

Displays syntax information.
 

--version

Displays the version number.
 

-h, --headers

These options will cause apt-listchanges to insert a header before each package's changelog showing the name of the package, and the names of the binary packages which are being upgraded (if there is more than one, or it differs from the source package name).
 

--debug

Display some debugging information
 

ENVIRONMENT

APT_LISTCHANGES_FRONTEND

Frontend to use

APT_LISTCHANGES_BROWSER_PIPE

Used by the browser frontend, should be set to a command expecting HTML input on stdin

APT_LISTCHANGES_BROWSER, BROWSER

Used by the browser frontend, should be set to a command expecting a file: URL for an HTML file to display.

FILES

/etc/apt/listchanges.conf

Configuration file. Most options have the same names as command-line options, with hyphens translated to underscores.

Example configuration file

[cmdline] 
frontend=pager 
 
[apt] 
frontend=xterm-pager 
email_address=root 
confirm=1 

The above configuration file specifies that in command-line mode, the default frontend should be "pager". In apt mode, the xterm-pager frontend is default, a copy of the changelogs (if any) should be emailed to root, and apt-listchanges should ask for confirmation.

/var/lib/apt/listchanges.db

Database used for save-seen

AUTHOR

apt-listchanges was written by Matt Zimmerman <mdz@debian.org>
   

SEE ALSO

apt.conf(5)

Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

OPTIONS

ENVIRONMENT

FILES

AUTHOR

SEE ALSO