Как проверить и проверить пакет deb перед установкой?

Используйте это:

dpkg-deb --info <deb file>

Предпочитаете использовать apt, если вам нужно, чтобы они были подписаны.

try apt-cache show <package-name>

Вы получите много метаданных (Maintainer, Original Maintainer, Depends, MD5), но, возможно, не все, что вы ищете.

Все, что вам нужно, это

dpkg -I package.deb

Вот пример из пакета с именем hostapd_2.1-0ubuntu1.2_amd64.deb на моем ПК

 ~$ dpkg -I '/home/mark/hostapd_2.1-0ubuntu1.2_amd64.deb' 
 new debian package, version 2.0.
 size 422472 bytes: control archive=2619 bytes.
      66 bytes,     3 lines      conffiles            
    1537 bytes,    31 lines      control              
    1085 bytes,    15 lines      md5sums              
    1375 bytes,    53 lines   *  postinst             #!/bin/sh
     359 bytes,    14 lines   *  postrm               #!/bin/sh
     570 bytes,    30 lines   *  preinst              #!/bin/sh
     204 bytes,     7 lines   *  prerm                #!/bin/sh
 Package: hostapd
 Source: wpa (2.1-0ubuntu1.2)
 Version: 1:2.1-0ubuntu1.2
 Architecture: amd64
 Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
 Installed-Size: 1219
 Depends: libc6 (>= 2.15), libnl-3-200 (>= 3.2.7), libnl-genl-3-200 (>= 3.2.7), libssl1.0.0 (>= 1.0.1), lsb-base (>= 3.2-13), initscripts (>= 2.88dsf-13.3)
 Section: net
 Priority: optional
 Multi-Arch: foreign
 Homepage: http://w1.fi/wpa_supplicant/
 Description: user space IEEE 802.11 AP and IEEE 802.1X/WPA/WPA2/EAP Authenticator
  Originally, hostapd was an optional user space component for Host AP
  driver. It adds more features to the basic IEEE 802.11 management
  included in the kernel driver: using external RADIUS authentication
  server for MAC address based access control, IEEE 802.1X Authenticator
  and dynamic WEP keying, RADIUS accounting, WPA/WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i/RSN)
  Authenticator and dynamic TKIP/CCMP keying.
  .
  The current version includes support for other drivers, an integrated
  EAP authenticator (i.e., allow full authentication without requiring
  an external RADIUS authentication server), and RADIUS authentication
  server for EAP authentication.
  .
  hostapd works with the following drivers:
  .
   * mac80211 based drivers with support for master mode [linux]
   * Host AP driver for Prism2/2.5/3 [linux]
   * Driver interface for FreeBSD net80211 layer [kfreebsd]
   * Any wired Ethernet driver for wired IEEE 802.1X authentication.
 Original-Maintainer: Debian/Ubuntu wpasupplicant Maintainers <pkg-wpa-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org>

И еще один случайный вызов называется pulseaudio_6.0-90-g75dd2-1_amd64.deb

~$ dpkg -I '/home/mark/pulseaudio/pulseaudio_6.0-90-g75dd2-1_amd64.deb' 
 new debian package, version 2.0.
 size 1421422 bytes: control archive=314 bytes.
       0 bytes,     0 lines      conffiles            
     222 bytes,     9 lines      control              
 Package: pulseaudio
 Priority: extra
 Section: checkinstall
 Installed-Size: 8144
 Maintainer: root@Ubuntu
 Architecture: amd64
 Version: 6.0-90-g75dd2-1
 Provides: pulseaudio
 Description: Package created with checkinstall 1.6.2