Basic Debian Packaging

this class should give a basic understanding of how to build a debian package from some common types of source tarballs or repositories.

prerequisites:

• basic familiarity with [Basic_Linux_Command_Line_for_Builders|commandline]
• basic familiarity with linux: [Where_Is_Everything]

suggestions:

• rudimentary understanding of building and compiling software
• basic understanding of apt and dpkg

topics covered:

• finding software
  • is it already packaged:
    • packages.debian.org
  • freshmeat.net
  • sourceforge.net
  • google.com
• environment variables
  • DEBEMAIL
  • DEBFULLNAME
• dh_make
  • copyright
  • changelog
  • control
    • dch
    • version
    • release
  • rules
  • other files
    • *.installi
    • *.manpages
    • *.examples
    • *.init
    • *.postinst
  • other examples: *.ex and *.EX files
• cdbs basics:
  • magic snippet for debian/rules file:

#!/usr/bin/make -f
# comment out the next line if using a makefile-based source distribution 
#include /usr/share/cdbs/1/class/makefile.mk
include /usr/share/cdbs/1/rules/debhelper.mk

• debuild
• basic troubleshooting
  • build dependencies
• lintian
  • debian policy

additional and related topics:

• [Debian_Package_Repositories]
• gnupg-signed packages