dpkg-buildapi(1)		   dpkg suite			dpkg-buildapi(1)

NAME
     dpkg-buildapi - returns the build API level to use during package build

SYNOPSIS
     dpkg-buildapi [option...] [command]

DESCRIPTION
     dpkg-buildapi is a tool to retrieve the dpkg-build-api(7) level to use dur-
     ing build of source Debian packages.

     This program was introduced in dpkg 1.22.0.

COMMANDS
     --help
	 Show the usage message and exit.

     --version
	 Show the version and exit.

OPTIONS
     -ccontrol-file
	 Specifies the main source control file to read information from.  The
	 default is debian/control.

ENVIRONMENT
     DPKG_BUILD_API
	 The build API level to use.  This is intended to be used internally by
	 the tools executed from debian/rules to avoid having to parse de-
	 bian/control multiple times, and not to set the global build API level
	 from debian/rules, otherwise build drivers (such as dpkg-buildpack-
	 age(1)) cannot access it.

     DPKG_COLORS
	 Sets the color mode.  The currently accepted values are: auto (de-
	 fault), always and never.

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

FILES
   Packaging support
     /usr/share/dpkg/buildapi.mk
	 Makefile snippet that parses the build API level into a variable.

1.23.7				   2026-03-06			dpkg-buildapi(1)