deb-prerm(5) dpkg suite deb-prerm(5)

# [NAME](#NAME)

deb-prerm - package pre-removal maintainer script

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**DEBIAN/prerm**

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

A package can perform several pre-removal actions via maintainer scripts, by including an executable *prerm* file in its control archive (i.e. *DEBIAN/prerm* during package creation).

The script can be called in the following ways:

[*prerm* **remove**](#prerm)

Before the package is removed.

[*old-prerm* **upgrade** *new-version*](#old)

Before an upgrade.

[*new-prerm* **failed-upgrade** *old-version* *new-version*](#new)

If the above **upgrade** fails.

Support for *new-version* since dpkg 1.18.5.

[*prerm* **deconfigure** **in-favour** *new-package* *new-version*](#prerm~2)

    \[ **removing** *old-package* *old-version* ]

Before package is deconfigured while dependency is replaced due to conflict.

[*prerm* **remove** **in-favour** *new-package* *new-version*](#prerm~3)

Before the package is replaced due to conflict.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**dpkg**(1)](/man/os/dpkg/dpkg.1).

2026-09-09 1.23.11-dirty

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Document: deb-prerm(5) from dpkg 1.23.11-r2 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://git.dpkg.org/git/dpkg/dpkg.git