diff --git a/common.go b/common.go
index f482ac7..c2625f7 100644
--- a/common.go
+++ b/common.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package repolist
 
 import (
+	"unicode"
+
 	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/repostatus"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
@@ -176,3 +178,21 @@ func (rl *RepoList) TotalGo() int {
 	}
 	return count
 }
+
+func trimNonNumericFromStart(s string) string {
+	for i, r := range s {
+		if unicode.IsDigit(r) {
+			return s[i:]
+		}
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+func ValidDebianPackageVersion(v string) string {
+	newv := trimNonNumericFromStart(v)
+	if newv == "" {
+		newv = "0.0"
+	}
+	log.Info("ValidDebianPackageVersion:", newv)
+	return newv
+}
diff --git a/scan.go b/scan.go
index 7200898..f4b0921 100644
--- a/scan.go
+++ b/scan.go
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
-	"go.wit.com/log"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/repostatus"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
 func (r *RepoList) RegisterHideFunction(f func(*RepoRow)) {