dpkg-changes is a program that provides a report of installed and uninstalled packages. It is a straightforward script with basic functionality.
This tool is particularly helpful for system administrators that maintain servers with multiple users because it provides an easy way to know when new packages are installed. Additionally, it can be scheduled on a daily/weekly basis through the crontab file.
DPKG-Changes is written in Perl and is compatible with Debian GNU/Linux operating systems. The installation process is straightforward, and users can either download the tarball and run 'make install' or install it through the apt-get repository.
After the installation process, create a crontab entry under your personal file or the system-wide /etc/cron.{daily weekly} directory. This entry will allow the script to run on a daily or weekly basis.
Users can also run the script with a different cache file by using /usr/sbin/dpkg-changes --cache /home/user/dpkg-cache/ as a non-privileged user.
Note that when the script is run for the first time, it will not display any output as the cache file is being built up. Afterward, the script will show any changes in the list of packages installed or uninstalled.
This release of DPKG-Changes contains streamlined code and improved documentation. Overall, DPKG-Changes provides a convenient way to keep track of package installs and uninstalls within your system.
Version 1.2: N/A