dpkgapt

dpkgapt is a command-line tool for Debian-based systems that aims to unify the use of dpkg and apt by providing a single interface that leverages apt's dependency resolution while coordinating low-level package handling through dpkg. The project is designed for scripted and automated package management in environments where both high-level and low-level tools are used, offering a more predictable workflow than mixing apt and dpkg manually.

Key features include unified transaction planning that uses apt's resolver to compute a safe installation or upgrade path, dependency-aware operations, support for offline repositories by caching metadata and debs, and comprehensive logging with the ability to perform a dry run. The tool is intended to be extendable via a plugin interface that can add alternative resolvers, custom pre- and post-install hooks, and integration with monitoring pipelines.

At execution time, dpkgapt consults the resolver, downloads required deb files if needed, then invokes dpkg to unpack and configure packages in the correct order. It tracks changes, records status, and reports potential conflicts or held packages before proceeding. Because dpkg does not provide full transactional guarantees, rollback is limited; dpkgapt emphasizes pre-checks, backups of configuration files, and clear provenance of actions to aid recovery.

Development and status: dpkgapt is a community-maintained open-source project not part of the official Debian repositories. It is distributed under an open-source license and may be hosted on public code hosting platforms. Availability, compatibility with different Debian-based distributions, and stability vary by release.

See also: apt, dpkg, aptitude, gdebi.