DEB Converter
FileFlip converts DEB files into 11 other formats entirely inside your browser, using libarchive compiled to WebAssembly. The DEB file is never uploaded to a server: it is read off your disk, converted on your own machine, and saved back by the browser. There is no file-size limit and no account to create.
How do I convert a DEB file?#
- Drop your DEB file onto the converter at the top of this page, or click it to pick one from your computer.
- Choose the format you want out of it. FileFlip downloads the engine that conversion needs, once, and your browser caches it.
- Conversion starts the moment you pick the format, and the result is yours to download. The work happens in this tab, so nothing is uploaded and nothing is queued.
Is it safe to convert DEB files online?#
Yes, because nothing is uploaded. FileFlip converts DEB files inside the browser tab you already have open, using WebAssembly builds of the same engines a desktop converter would install. Your file is read from your own disk into the page's memory, and no request carrying it is ever made.
You do not have to take that on trust. Open your browser's network panel, run a conversion, and you will see the engine come down and your file go nowhere. There is no upload, no server-side copy, no retention window, and no account tied to what you converted.
How FileFlip works lists every engine, its version and its download size, and shows how to check for yourself that nothing leaves your machine.
What happens to a DEB file#
FileFlip converts DEB into 11 formats with libarchive, all of it inside the browser tab. Each conversion below names the engine it uses, what it downloads, and exactly what that conversion keeps or drops.
| Category | Archives |
|---|---|
| File extension | .deb |
| FileFlip support | Read only, so it is a source rather than a target |
| Conversions available | 11 |
| Engines | libarchive |
| Downloaded to your browser | 1.0 MB on the first conversion, then cached |
What is a DEB file?#
A DEB file is a Debian package: an ar archive containing a debian-binary version marker, a control.tar of package metadata and maintainer scripts, and a data.tar of the files to install.
A .deb is the format to build or inspect when packaging software for Debian, Ubuntu or another Debian-derived distribution.
Convert or extract a .deb when only the files inside are needed, such as pulling a binary out without registering it in the package database, or when the target system uses RPM instead.
The DEB file format reference covers the specification, the programs that open one, and what each conversion keeps or drops.
DEB questions people ask#
How do I open a .deb file without installing it?
Running dpkg-deb --extract on a .deb file unpacks its data.tar contents to a folder without touching the package database, and dpkg-deb --control does the same for the metadata in control.tar. Both stop short of actually installing anything.
What's inside a .deb package?
A .deb file is an ar archive holding three parts: a debian-binary text file with the format version, a control.tar archive of package metadata and any install or remove scripts, and a data.tar archive of the actual files the package installs.
How do I install a .deb file?
sudo dpkg -i package.deb installs it directly, though dpkg does not resolve dependencies on its own, so a missing dependency needs a follow-up sudo apt --fix-broken install. Running sudo apt install ./package.deb instead handles both steps in one command.
Can I open a .deb file on Windows or macOS?
7-Zip on Windows can open a .deb because the format is just an ar archive underneath, letting you browse into its control.tar and data.tar. There is no equivalent built-in support on macOS, and installing the package itself only makes sense on a Debian-based Linux system regardless of platform.
What's the difference between a .deb and an RPM package?
A .deb is an ar archive of two tarballs, used by Debian, Ubuntu and their derivatives, while an RPM is a custom binary header followed by a compressed cpio archive, used by Fedora, openSUSE, RHEL and similar distributions. The two are not interchangeable, though tools like alien can convert between them with mixed reliability.