Some notes from the WLUG meeting on Debian and packaging:

To create Debian packages, install:

apt-get install dpkg-dev, file, gcc, g++, libc6-dev, make, patch, perl, dh-make, debhelper, fakeroot, gnupg, lintian.

• Choose a program
• Check no-one else is developing it already
• Debian: must have a license, as free as possible
• Get the source, make sure the source works

• Run dh_make -e your@maintainer.address -f ../filename-version.tar.gz in the source dir & pick package type

  • Single binary - creates debian/ directory
• Make the program install in a subdirectory using Makefile and debian/rules
• Edit debian/control, changelog, copyright, README.Debian etc
• dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot

Investigate package with dpkg --info file, dpkg --contents file and lintian file

make sure makefile has a proper install target, syntax of install program install -d $(BIN) $(ICONS) $(DESTDIR)/etc install -m644 file $(BIN) etc

Editing debian files.

Control file - add dependencies etc. copyright file changelog file rules file - makefile.

dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot

You may want to also specify -uc and -us to dpkg-buildpackage to prevent it from attempting to sign the package.

Other Resources

• The official reference for package building is the "Debian New Maintainer's Guide", available at http://www.debian.org/doc/maint-guide/
• The "Debian Policy Manual" is also an invaluable reference with lots of the finer details and information on making your packages comply with the Debian Policy (a must if you are trying to get them in to the actual distribution), get it at http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/
• AsSeenOnSlashdot, for a guide to making Debian Packages

CategoryDebian