Jul 11, 2025

dget: Download Debian packages

What is dget?

dget is a small utility for downloading Debian packages, either as binary packages or as sources described by a .dsc file. It’s handy when you want to grab a package without setting up apt sources or building from source manually.

Quick start

Download a binary package:

dget {{package}}

Download and extract a package source from its .dsc file:

dget {{http://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/h/haskell-tldr/haskell-tldr_0.4.0-2.dsc}}

Download a package source tarball from its .dsc file but don’t extract it:

dget {{[-d|--download-only]}} {{http://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/h/haskell-tldr/haskell-tldr_0.4.0-2.dsc}}

Note: The URL in the examples points to a real .dsc file; you can replace it with any valid Debian source descriptor.

How to use dget effectively

Use dget when you want to quickly fetch a package file without configuring apt or other tools.
For reproducible builds, prefer downloading the exact .dsc and the associated orig tarball, then build in a clean environment.
If you only need the package’s binary, dget will place the file in your current directory; you can inspect it or install it with dpkg -i as a later step.

Common pitfalls

dget does not automatically resolve dependencies. If you fetch a binary .deb, you may still need to install its dependencies with apt or dpkg.
When downloading sources, make sure you trust the .dsc and the accompanying tarball. Verify checksums and signatures if possible.
The —download-only option only saves the tarball (and .dsc) without extracting. If you expect an extraction, omit this flag.

Tips for beginners

Start in a dedicated directory so downloaded files don’t clutter other work.
If you see a 404 or network error, re-check the URL or try updating your tldr cache if you’re relying on tldr pages.
Combine dget with other tools for automation, e.g., scripts that verify checksums after download.