This is a CGI application to provide package information using apt. Currently available at https://pkginfo.devuan.org/cgi-bin/policy-query.xml
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<div id="frontmatter">
<h2>About This Tool</h2>
<div id="text">
<p>
The tool is a "web front-end" for the command line utilites <a
target="blank" href="https://man.cx/apt-cache"><code>apt-cache
policy</code></a>, <a
target="blank"
href="https://man.cx/apt-cache"><code>apt-cache show</code></a>,
<a target="blank" href="https://man.cx/apt-cache"><code>apt-file
list</code></a>, <a
target="blank"
href="https://man.cx/debtree"><code>debtree</code></a> and <a
target="blank"
href="https://man.cx/apt-file"><code>apt-file find</code></a>
that are used for reviewing the meta information of the
available software. You may well use those tools in your own
terminal to see this information related more exactly to your
own system, whereas here you&#8217;ll see it related to "all"
possible installations in union.
</p>
<p>
When you inspect the web front-end in more detail, you will find
that the "Package pattern:" phrase is actually a selection
toggle where you can choose between that and "File pattern:".
The former uses the pattern as argument to <a
target="blank" href="https://man.cx/apt-cache"><code>apt-cache
policy</code></a> and brings up the result of that, and the
latter instead uses the pattern as argument to <a
target="blank"
href="https://man.cx/apt-file"><code>apt-file find</code></a>
and brings up the result of that. Note that both of the search
types are time limited and that if the pattern is too generic,
it results in a search timeout response.
</p>
<p>
The <code>policy-query</code> result includes onwards links from
the version code elements as <code>package-query</code> requests
with the particular package and version as argument. This runs
<a target="blank" href="https://man.cx/apt-cache"><code>apt-cache
show</code></a> followed by an <a
target="blank"
href="https://man.cx/apt-file"><code>apt-file list</code></a>
and presents the result of that with dependent package names set
out as links to further <code>policy-query</code> requests.
</p>
<p>
The <code>package-query</code> result also includes a "debtree"
button for reviewing the package dependencies using <a
target="blank" href="https://man.cx/debtree"><code>debtree</code></a>.
</p>
<p>
When the selection toggle says "File pattern:", the tool will
run <a target="blank" href="https://man.cx/apt-file"><code>apt-file
find</code></a> with the pattern as argument (instead of <a
target="blank"
href="https://man.cx/apt-cache"><code>apt-get policy</code></a>)
and present the result of that. This has similar onwards links
as <code>policy-query</code> requests for the package names.
</p>
<p>
Note that all results are heavily flavoured by the backend
setup. The servicing host has a source list that includes all
(and only) current Devuan points for the architectures
<code>amd64</code>, <code>arm64</code> and <code>i386</code>,
while it is an <code>amd64</code> itself. In some cases it helps
to add, e.g., ":arm64" to the end of the pattern so as to focus
the search on that architecture, but it's of course up to
the backend command as to whether that is useful.
</p>
<p style="text-align: center">
Enjoy
</p>
</div>
</div>
</doc>