Manual: dpkg-divert
dpkg-divert(1) dpkg suite dpkg-divert(1)
NAME
dpkg-divert - override a package's version of a file
SYNOPSIS
dpkg-divert [option...] command
DESCRIPTION
dpkg-divert is the utility used to set up and update the list of diversions.
File diversions are a way of forcing dpkg(1) not to install a file into its location, but to a diverted location.
Diversions can be used through the package maintainer scripts to move a file away when it causes a conflict. System
administrators can also use it to override some package's configuration file, or whenever some files (which aren't
marked as “conffiles”) need to be preserved by dpkg, when installing a newer version of a package which contains
those files.
COMMANDS
[--add] file
Add a diversion for file. The file is currently not renamed, see --rename.
--remove file
Remove a diversion for file. The file is currently not renamed, see --rename.
--list [glob-pattern]
List all diversions, or ones matching glob-pattern.
--listpackage file
Print the name of the package that diverts file (since dpkg 1.15.0). Prints LOCAL if file is locally diverted
and nothing if file is not diverted.
--truename file
Print the real name for a diverted file.
OPTIONS
--admindir directory
Set the administrative directory to directory. Defaults to «/var/lib/dpkg» if DPKG_ADMINDIR has not been set.
--instdir directory
Set the installation directory, which refers to the directory where packages get installed (since dpkg 1.19.2).
Defaults to «/» if DPKG_ROOT has not been set.
--root directory
Set the root directory to directory, which sets the installation directory to «directory» and the administrative
directory to «directory/var/lib/dpkg» (since dpkg 1.19.2) if DPKG_ROOT has not been set.
--divert divert-to
divert-to is the location where the versions of file, as provided by other packages, will be diverted.
--local
Specifies that all packages' versions of this file are diverted. This means, that there are no exceptions, and
whatever package is installed, the file is diverted. This can be used by an admin to install a locally modified
version.
--package package
package is the name of a package whose copy of file will not be diverted. i.e. file will be diverted for all
packages except package.
--quiet
Quiet mode, i.e. no verbose output.
--rename
Actually move the file aside (or back). dpkg-divert will abort operation in case the destination file already
exists. This is the common behavior used for diversions of files from the non-Essential package set (see
--no-rename for more details).
--no-rename
Specifies that the file should not be renamed while adding or removing the diversion into the database (since
dpkg 1.19.1). This is intended for diversions of files from the Essential package set, where the temporary
disappearance of the original file is not acceptable, as it can render the system non-functional. This is the
default behavior, which will change once there are no known users, but not before the dpkg 1.23.x release cycle.
--test
Test mode, i.e. don't actually perform any changes, just demonstrate.
-?, --help
Show the usage message and exit.
--version
Show the version and exit.
EXIT STATUS
0 The requested action was successfully performed.
2 Fatal or unrecoverable error due to invalid command-line usage, or interactions with the system, such as accesses
to the database, memory allocations, etc.
ENVIRONMENT
DPKG_ROOT
If set and the --instdir or --root options have not been specified, it will be used as the filesystem root
directory (since dpkg 1.19.2).
DPKG_ADMINDIR
If set and the --admindir or --root options have not been specified, it will be used as the dpkg data directory.
DPKG_MAINTSCRIPT_PACKAGE
If set and the --local and --package options have not been specified, dpkg-divert will use it as the package
name.
DPKG_DEBUG
Sets the debug mask (since dpkg 1.21.10) from an octal value. The currently accepted flags are described in the
dpkg --debug option, but not all these flags might have an effect on this program.
DPKG_COLORS
Sets the color mode (since dpkg 1.18.5). The currently accepted values are: auto (default), always and never.
DPKG_NLS
If set, it will be used to decide whether to activate Native Language Support, also known as internationalization
(or i18n) support (since dpkg 1.22.7). The accepted values are: 0 and 1 (default).
FILES
/var/lib/dpkg/diversions
File which contains the current list of diversions of the system. It is located in the dpkg administration
directory, along with other files important to dpkg, such as status or available.
Note: dpkg-divert preserves the old copy of this file, with extension -old, before replacing it with the new one.
NOTES
When adding, default is --local and --divert original.distrib. When removing, --package or --local and --divert must
match if specified.
Directories can't be diverted with dpkg-divert.
Care should be taken when diverting shared libraries, ldconfig(8) creates a symbolic link based on the DT_SONAME
field embedded in the library. Because ldconfig does not honor diverts (only dpkg does), the symlink may end up
pointing at the diverted library, if a diverted library has the same SONAME as the undiverted one.
EXAMPLES
To divert all copies of a /usr/bin/example to /usr/bin/example.foo, i.e. directs all packages providing
/usr/bin/example to install it as /usr/bin/example.foo, performing the rename if required:
dpkg-divert --divert /usr/bin/example.foo --rename /usr/bin/example
To remove that diversion:
dpkg-divert --rename --remove /usr/bin/example
To divert any package trying to install /usr/bin/example to /usr/bin/example.foo, except your own wibble package:
dpkg-divert --package wibble --divert /usr/bin/example.foo \
--rename /usr/bin/example
To remove that diversion:
dpkg-divert --package wibble --rename --remove /usr/bin/example
SEE ALSO
dpkg(1).
1.23.7 2026-03-31 dpkg-divert(1)