# How to find out the dependencies of a package?



## idude (Jan 20, 2021)

How do I find out what dependencies a particular package will require before I install it using pkg?  (I don't use the ports tree)


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## SirDice (Jan 20, 2021)

You can query the remote package database using pkg-rquery(8). I though there may already be a nice alias for this but I can't seem to find it.


```
# pkg alias
ALIAS                ARGUMENTS
all-depends          'query %dn-%dv'
annotations          'info -A'
build-depends        'info -qd'
cinfo                'info -Cx'
comment              'query -i "%c"'
csearch              'search -Cx'
desc                 'query -i "%e"'
download             'fetch'
iinfo                'info -ix'
isearch              'search -ix'
prime-list           'query -e '%a = 0' '%n''
prime-origins        'query -e '%a = 0' '%o''
leaf                 'query -e '%#r == 0' '%n-%v''
list                 'info -ql'
noauto               'query -e '%a == 0' '%n-%v''
options              'query -i "%n - %Ok: %Ov"'
origin               'info -qo'
provided-depends     'info -qb'
raw                  'info -R'
required-depends     'info -qr'
roptions             'rquery -i "%n - %Ok: %Ov"'
shared-depends       'info -qB'
show                 'info -f -k'
size                 'info -sq'
message              'info -D'
```


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## SirDice (Jan 20, 2021)

With a little experimenting; `pkg rquery '%dn-%dv' <packagename>` should work.


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## fraxamo (Jan 20, 2021)

Another alternative (if you're not in front of your FreeBSD machine) is to search for the software on the FreshPorts site and drill down into the results. All dependencies (build, runtime and library) are listed there.


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