lintian

lintian [options] package-file(s) | directory(s)

-i | --info
    Show informational tags. By default, only warnings and errors are shown.

-I | --display-info
    Same as -i, but displays informational tags even if a quiet option is set.

-v | --verbose
    Increase verbosity. Can be used multiple times for greater effect.

-q | --quiet
    Decrease verbosity. Can be used multiple times for greater effect.

-E | --errors-only
    Show only error tags. Equivalent to --quiet.

-w | --warnings-only
    Show only warning and error tags. Equivalent to --quiet -i.

-F file | --output-file file
    Write the output to the specified file instead of standard output.

-t tagfile | --tags-file tagfile
    Use the specified tags file instead of the default one.

-d directory | --data-dir directory
    Use the specified data directory instead of the default one.

-D directory | --dpkg-db-dir directory
    Use the specified dpkg database directory. Useful for examining packages in chroots.

-x tag | --exclude tag
    Exclude the specified tag from the output. Can be used multiple times.

-X tagfile | --excludefile tagfile
    Exclude all tags listed in the specified file.

-l | --no-color
    Disable colored output.

--profile
    Specifies a profile to use

--version
    Display version information and exit.

--help
    Display help message and exit.

Lintian is a tool that checks Debian packages for common errors and policy violations. It examines various aspects of the package, including its control files, installed files, and maintainer scripts, comparing them against Debian Policy and common best practices.

Lintian aims to help package maintainers create higher-quality packages by identifying potential problems before they are released. It generates reports containing informational, warning, and error messages, each associated with a specific package component or file. These messages provide details about the detected issue and often suggest possible solutions or further investigation. Lintian supports user profiles with customized tagsets.

Lintian is widely used in the Debian archive and is an essential tool for ensuring the overall quality and consistency of Debian-based distributions. Package quality affects the stability and security of the whole operating system.
It can be integrated into the package building process or run independently to check existing packages.

Lintian's accuracy depends on the completeness and correctness of its tag definitions. Some issues may not be detected, and false positives are possible.
Lintian is intended to detect common errors, and is not a replacement for human review of packages.

Lintian returns 0 if no errors are found, and a non-zero value if errors are present. Warnings and informational messages do not affect the exit status.

The data directory contains the tag definitions and other data files used by Lintian. By default it usually is /usr/share/lintian/. You can use the --data-dir option to specify a different directory.

Lintian was developed to provide a consistent and automated way to check Debian packages for policy compliance and other quality issues. It has been continuously improved and updated to reflect changes in Debian Policy and best practices.
The tool started as a simple script and evolved into a sophisticated package checker with a modular architecture. The tagset is regularly updated to identify new types of issues and improve the accuracy of existing checks.

dpkg(1), debuild(1)