diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/lib/dpkg.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/lib/dpkg.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7e6d18cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/lib/dpkg.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from typing import Iterable
+
+from ....lib.util import run_cmd, run_sudo
+
+from .Package import Package, meta_tags
+
+_meta_map: dict[str, str]|None = None
+
+def meta_map():
+    global _meta_map
+    if _meta_map is None:
+        _meta_map = Package.order_tags({
+            'name': 'binary:Package',
+            'vendor': None,   # deb doesn't have vendor field
+            'packager': None, #               -- packager --
+            'url': 'Homepage',
+            'maintainer': 'Maintainer',
+        })
+    return _meta_map
+
+async def run_dpkg(args: list[str], sudo: bool=False): # export
+    cmd = ['/usr/bin/dpkg']
+    cmd.extend(args)
+    if sudo:
+        return await run_sudo(cmd)
+    return await run_cmd(cmd)
+
+async def run_dpkg_query(args: list[str], sudo: bool=False): # export
+    cmd = ['/usr/bin/dpkg-query']
+    cmd.extend(args)
+    if sudo:
+        return await run_sudo(cmd)
+    return await run_cmd(cmd)
+
+async def query_packages(names: Iterable[str] = []) -> Iterable[Package]: # export
+    fmt_str = '|'.join([(f'${{{tag}}}' if tag else '') for tag in meta_map().values()]) + r'\n'
+    # dpkg-query -W -f='${binary:Package}|${Maintainer}| ... \n'
+    specs, stderr, status  = await run_dpkg_query(['-W', '-f=' + fmt_str, *names], sudo=False)
+    return Package.parse_specs_str(specs)
+
+async def list_files(pkg: str) -> list[str]: # export
+    file_list_str, stderr, status  = await run_dpkg(['-L', pkg], sudo=False)
+    return file_list_str.splitlines()