This page references tools that aim at providing basic working Debian packages.
Language |
Any |
Perl |
Ruby |
Python |
Node.js |
Haskell |
Go |
Tool (package name) |
dh-make |
dh-make-perl |
gem2deb |
python3-stdeb |
npm2deb |
cabal-debian |
dh-make-golang |
Upstream repository |
N/A |
||||||
Features |
|||||||
version |
1.20140617 |
0.84-2 |
0.14 |
0.8.2-4 |
0.2.2-1 |
4.17.4-1 |
|
cdbs or dh? |
dh |
dh |
dh |
dh |
dh |
cdbs |
|
use DEBEMAIL |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
|
Build-Depends |
no |
yes |
yes |
partial |
no |
yes |
|
Depends |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
at build time |
|
Homepage |
no |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
|
short/long descriptions |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes |
short only |
yes |
|
DEP8 tests |
no |
no |
only template |
no |
basic (only require) |
no |
|
.docs / .examples / etc. |
no |
docs + examples |
docs only |
no |
docs |
no |
|
debian/copyright |
only template |
yes |
only template |
no |
yes |
yes |
|
debian/watch |
only template |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
|
git repo creation, pristine-tar, etc. |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
no |
|
debian/upstream/metadata (UpstreamMetadata) |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
no |
|
ITP mail template |
no |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
no |
Notes
There's a Git repo with some example outputs
only template means that the tool provides a file that is not customized per-package
- npm2deb only generates the Debian files from metadata, but does not create a proper source package. The upstream source is not downloaded.
Build-depends and Depends generation
dh-make-perl uses local packages and apt-file to identify packages (broken with 0.84-2 and multiarch)
stdeb also uses apt-file with a fallback on module name conversion (code)
- npm, gem2deb and cabal-Debian only convert upstream package names found in metadata, to Debian package names
DEP-11 could end up being the proper way to generate language-specific dependencies
Copyright file generation
TODO. 'cme update dpkg-copyright' is another approach.
Usage
- Download upstream package from repository
Perl: not supported? (cpan -g Oxford::Calendar does nothing here...)
Python: pypi-download NAME --release VERSION, f.e. pypi-download Mako --release 1.0.1
npm: npm install PKGNAME
Ruby: gem fetch GEMNAME
Haskell: cabal get PKGNAME
- Debianize an unpacked upstream source
Perl: dh-make-perl [make] .
Python: python3 setup.py --command-packages=stdeb.command debianize
Ruby: dh-make-ruby .
npm: not supported
Haskell: cabal-debian
- Debianize (without building source)
Perl: dh-make-perl [make] {SOURCE_DIR | --cpan MODULE|DIST}
Python: not supported
Ruby: gem2deb --only-source-dir GEMNAME|GEMFILE
npm: npm2deb create PKGNAME
Haskell: not supported, need unpacked source
- Debianize and build source package
Perl: dh-make-perl [make] {SOURCE_DIR | --cpan MODULE|DIST} --build-source or cpan2dsc MODULE
Python: py2dsc DISTFILE
Ruby: gem2deb --only-debian-source GEMNAME|GEMFILE
npm, Haskell: not supported
- Debianize and build binary packages
Perl: dh-make-perl [make] {SOURCE_DIR | --cpan MODULE|DIST} --build or cpan2deb MODULE
Python: py2dsc-deb DISTFILE
Ruby: gem2deb GEMNAME|GEMFILE
npm, Haskell: not supported
- Debianize, build, install
Perl: dh-make-perl [make] {SOURCE_DIR | --cpan MODULE|DIST} --install
Python: pypi-install NAME
Ruby: not supported
npm, Haskell: not supported
- Refresh an already created package, moving old files to .bak:
All: cme migrate dpkg or cme fix dpkg
Perl: dh-make-perl refresh
Python, Ruby: not supported
npm: not supported
Haskell: cabal-debian
Other languages without an automated generator
- PHP (PEAR packages) -- see pkg-php-tools for packaging tools (and debpear for a simple generator)
- Java -- see javahelper for packaging tools
- Ocaml -- see dh-ocaml for packaging tools
See also
- debdry: common frontend for most of the helpers described above
- alien: converts RPM/etc binary packages to deb binary packages
- checkinstall: run an arbitrary upstream build system and auto-package the output
TODO
- The R team seems to have a cran2deb package