Character

Use in Debian packaging

Other important uses

+ .

Literal in package names and version numbers. Introduces type/extension(s) in filenames. + in apt command lines mean adding a package

-

Literal in package names, architectures, suite names and RFC822 field names. Last - separates the Debian revision in version numbers. In filename extensions, used to introduce sub-tarball-name for orig tarballs. In apt command line means removing/not-installing a package.

,

List separator (notably, in Dependency fields)

_

Separates components in (semi-)parseable filenames and buildd/wanna-build. In debconf templates, as the first character of a field name, indicates that the value is translatable. In git tags of debian versions, substituted in place of ~ (and also in place of : by some tools which do not comply with DEP-14).

:

Delimits epoch (at start of version numbers; but not found in filenames). Introduces architecture (after package names). Field name terminator in RFC822 syntax files. Scoping literal in substvar names

ssh, make, etc.

~

Literal in version numbers, with unusual early sorting

( )

Contains version specification (in dependency fields)

shell, make

< >

Version number inequalities (as part of <= << etc. inside ( ) in dependency fields). Contains build profile specification (in dependency fields).

shell, email

=

Version number equality (in dependency fields inside ( ), and following package name on apt command line)

!

Negation (in architecture and build profile lists)

shell history

*

Wildcard (in architecture specifications, but not permitted everywhere)

glob

$

${substvar} in debian/control and in debconf templates.

shell, make

[ ]

Contains applicable architectures (in dependency fields)

glob

/

In apt command line, a way to specify the target release

pathnames

@

Indicates "the same package" (in debian/tests/control)

email, ssh, make

^

Specifies that previous name was a task, not package, name (in apt-get and other libapt-pkg users)

some shells

#

Comment introduction (starts of lines). In git tags of abstruse debian versions, inserted after some dots (by most tools; see DEP-14)

|

Alternative separator (notably, in Dependency fields)

shell

%

In git tags of debian versions, substituted in place of : (by most tools; see DEP14)

make

{ }

shell

;

shell

?

glob

&

shell

" ' `

shell, C, etc.

\

shell, C, make, etc.