dpkg-trigger(1) dpkg suite dpkg-trigger(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

dpkg-trigger - a package trigger utility

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**dpkg-trigger** \[*option*...] *trigger-name*

**dpkg-trigger** \[*option*...] *command*

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

**dpkg-trigger** is a tool to explicitly activate triggers and check for its support on the running **dpkg**.

This can be used by maintainer scripts in complex and conditional situations where the file triggers, or the declarative **activate** triggers control file directive, are insufficiently rich. It can also be used for testing and by system administrators (but note that the triggers won't actually be run by **dpkg-trigger**).

Unrecognized trigger name syntaxes are an error for **dpkg-trigger**.

This program was introduced in dpkg 1.14.17.

# [COMMANDS](#COMMANDS)

[**--check-supported**](#check)

Check if the running **dpkg** supports triggers (usually called from a postinst). Will exit **0** if a triggers-capable **dpkg** has run, or **1** with an error message to stderr if not. Normally, however, it is better just to activate the desired trigger with **dpkg-trigger**.

**-?**, **--help**

Show the usage message and exit.

[**--version**](#version)

Show the version and exit.

# [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS)

[**--admindir=dir**](#admindir=)

Change the location of the **dpkg** database. Defaults to */var/lib/dpkg* if **DPKG\_ADMINDIR** has not been set.

[**--root=directory**](#root=)

Set the root directory to *directory*, which sets the administrative directory to «*directory*/var/lib/dpkg».

Supported since dpkg 1.21.0.

[**--by-package=package**](#by)

Override trigger awaiter (normally set by **dpkg** through the **DPKG\_MAINTSCRIPT\_PACKAGE** environment variable of the maintainer scripts, naming the package to which the script belongs, and this will be used by default).

[**--no-await**](#no)

This option arranges that the calling package *T* (if any) need not await the processing of this trigger; the interested package(s) *I*, will not be added to *T*'s trigger processing awaited list and *T*'s status is unchanged. *T* may be considered installed even though *I* may not yet have processed the trigger.

[**--await**](#await)

This option does the inverse of **--no-await**. If the interested package has declared a “noawait” directive, then this option will not be effective. It is currently the default behavior.

Supported since dpkg 1.17.21.

[**--no-act**](#no~2)

Just test, do not actually change anything.

# [EXIT STATUS](#EXIT_STATUS)

**0**

The requested action was successfully performed. Or a check or assertion command returned true.

**1**

A check or assertion command returned false.

**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](#ENVIRONMENT)

[**DPKG\_ROOT**](#DPKG_ROOT)

If set and the **--root** option has not been specified, it will be used as the filesystem root directory.

Supported since dpkg 1.21.0.

[**DPKG\_ADMINDIR**](#DPKG_ADMINDIR)

If set and the **--admindir** option has not been specified, it will be used as the **dpkg** data directory.

[**DPKG\_DEBUG**](#DPKG_DEBUG)

Sets the debug mask 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.

Supported since dpkg 1.21.10.

[**DPKG\_COLORS**](#DPKG_COLORS)

Sets the color mode. The currently accepted values are: **auto** (default), **always** and **never**.

Supported since dpkg 1.18.5.

[**DPKG\_NLS**](#DPKG_NLS)

If set, it will be used to decide whether to activate Native Language Support, also known as internationalization (or i18n) support. The accepted values are: **0** and **1** (default).

Supported since dpkg 1.22.7.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**dpkg**(1)](/man/os/dpkg/dpkg.1), [**deb-triggers**(5)](/man/os/dpkg/deb-triggers.5), **/usr/share/doc/dpkg/spec/triggers.txt**.

2026-09-09 1.23.11-dirty

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Document: dpkg-trigger(1) from dpkg 1.23.11-r3 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://git.dpkg.org/git/dpkg/dpkg.git