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Notes and other various tutorials on how to package .deb files for Debian based distributions

Notes and other various tutorials on how to package .deb files for Debian based distributions

First you need to get the source of the software. Then put it in some directory. There you unpack the software, usually

First you need to get the source of the software. Then put it in some directory. There you unpack the software, usually

   $ tar xzvf software-2.1.tar.gz

   tar xzvf software-2.1.tar.gz

   $ ln -s software-2.1.tar.gz software_2.1.orig.tar.gz

   ln -s software-2.1.tar.gz software_2.1.orig.tar.gz

   $ cd software-2.1/

   cd software-2.1/

   $ dh_make

   dh_make

'''dh_make''' will make a directory called '''debian/''' with a few files in it. Now your task is to fill them. I usually start with '''control''', then edit '''copyright'''. There is also '''changelog''', '''rules''', '''dirs''' and more. In '''rules''' you will find some '''dh''' commands, they are all from debhelper. Each of them has a manpage, please refer to '''man debhelper''' for details, as well as the Debian New Maintainers' Guide. Read more about the Debian Policy Manual. Updating the '''debian/changelog''' is done with '''dch''' or debchange (symlink).

'''dh_make''' will make a directory called '''debian/''' with a few files in it. Now your task is to fill them. I usually start with '''control''', then edit '''copyright'''. There is also '''changelog''', '''rules''', '''dirs''' and more. In '''rules''' you will find some '''dh''' commands, they are all from debhelper. Each of them has a manpage, please refer to '''man debhelper''' for details, as well as the Debian New Maintainers' Guide. Read more about the Debian Policy Manual. Updating the '''debian/changelog''' is done with '''dch''' or debchange (symlink).