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====== Ubuntu - Packages - Extract deb file without having dpkg ======

.deb files are regular ar archives.  You can manipulate the file by using **ar** command.

For example, I have a package called lynx_2.8.8dev.15-2_all.deb.

To extract the file, just run ar x <.deb.filename>.  For example:

<code bash>
ar x lynx_2.8.8dev.15-2_all.deb
</code>

You will see 3 files being extracted, control.tar.gz, data.tar.gz and debian binary.

<code bash>
ls
</code>

returns:

<code>
control.tar.gz  data.tar.gz  debian-binary  lynx_2.8.8dev.15-2_all.deb
</code>


debian-binary is a text file containing deb packaging version number.

<code bash>
cat debian-binary 

2.0
</code>


control.tar.gz contained control, preinst and md5sums.

<code bash>
tar -tf control.tar.gz ./

./md5sums
./control
./preinst
</code>


data.tar.gz is a compressed file containing the files which are going to be installed on the system.

<code bash>
tar -tf data.tar.gz ./

./usr/
./usr/share/
./usr/share/doc/
./usr/share/doc/lynx/
./usr/share/doc/lynx/copyright
./usr/share/doc/lynx/changelog.Debian.gz
</code>