• Diff for "Packaging"

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Welcome to Debian's packaging portal.

This portal is about information relevant to developers wishing to package software for Debian. If you were looking for information on installing and removing packages from your Debian system, see the package management page.

Debian packages are maintained by a community of Debian Developers and volunteers.

Introduction to Debian Packaging

To get a good grounding in Debian packaging:

• first read the excellent introduction to Debian Packaging to build a package from scratch,

• you can also look at the building tutorial to apply changes to an existing package.

• if you are new to debian, then setting up debian unstable system can help you setup a development environment.

• Learn Debian Packaging in steps for new to advanced packaging levels (by ?JavaScript team).

Now that you have seen the basics, it is highly recommended that you read some real stuff:

• Guide for Debian Maintainers describes the building of a Debian package with many examples (This replaces outdated the Debian New Maintainers' Guide )

• the Debian Policy includes technical requirements that each package must satisfy.

• More than anything, please also check the source code of existing recently updated packages of similar kinds.

Then, if you are looking for answers, you can come back here or read:

• the interesting pdf file included in the package packaging-tutorial or you can read it here.

• The Developers Reference provides an overview of the recommended procedures and the available resources for Debian developers.

What not to do:

• There are no shortcuts to learning good packaging practices. Avoid equivs which is only useful for building trivial metapackages and does not teach you anything about packaging.

Packaging Procedures

Types / Formats

• AndroidTools - Android tools

• Fonts/PackagingPolicy - Fonts

• https://go-team.pages.debian.net/packaging.html - Golang libraries and applications

• Teams/DebianHaskellGroup - Haskell environment and libraries

• Java/Packaging - Java libraries and applications

• Javascript/Policy - ?JavaScript libraries and applications

• https://salsa.debian.org/lua-team - Lua modules

• Teams/DebianMonoGroup/NewPackage - Mono libraries and applications

• Teams/DebianMozExtTeam - Mozilla extensions

• Teams/OCamlTaskForce - OCaml libraries

• Python/Packaging - Python modules and applications

• Teams/Ruby/Packaging - Ruby modules and applications

• Teams/RustPackaging - Rust crates and applications

• RPM - repackaging RPM packages as .deb packages

Tools

• PackagingWithDarcs - Darcs version control

• Packaging/debspawn - debspawn clean build tool

• PbuilderTricks - Pbuilder clean build tool

• SecurePbuilder - Secure Pbuilder builder tool

• Packaging/ruby-team-meta-build - build scripts used by ruby team, helps testing reverse dependencies easily

Suggested tools to create an environment for packaging

To create a packaging environment, you will need to install and learn how to use the following tools:

• Packaging/sbuild, clean build tool; install the sbuild package.

  sbuild is used in the Debian build service (buildd). See also sbuild.

• Quilt, for patches management; install the quilt package.

• PackagingWithGit, for Git management packaging; install the git-buildpackage package.

• piuparts, for .deb package installation, upgrading, and removal testing tool; install the piuparts package.

• Lintian, a comprehensive package checker for Debian packages; install the lintian package.

• Devscripts - scripts to make the life of a Debian Package maintainer easier; install the devscripts package.

• Autopkgtest - run tests found in Debian source packages; install the autopkgtest package.

• blhc - search for missing hardening flags; install the blhc package. See Debian: how to use blhc to solve hardening issues when packaging.

• dh-make - converts source archives into Debian package source; install the dh-make package.

• cowbuilder - really handy to build your project for many distributions at once; install the cowbuilder package.

Okay, now you have an environment ready to start learning how to package for Debian!

Advanced Procedures

• AdvancedBuildingTips - Advanced building tips

• Courses2005/BuildingWithoutHelper - How to make a Debian package without using a helper

• /HackingDependencies - hacking dependencies

• /ComplexWebApps - Create debian packages for complex web applications

Useful Pages

• PackagingFAQ - Packaging FAQ

• Mentors - sponsors/mentors for packages in specific areas of Debian

• Renaming_a_Package - Renaming a Package

• PackageTransition - Package Transition

• DpkgDiversions

• BzrBuildpackage/DesignIdeas

• ?PkgSplit - How to split a package into smaller packages

• Repackage_srcrpm - creating a proper Debian source package while referencing the src.rpm package

• DebugPackage - Debug Package

• PackageArchitectureAlmostAny - Creating package without some particular architectures for easy porting

• ConfigPackages - Config Package

• DpkgConffileHandling - Gracefully Handling conffiles

• EditingBinaryPackageMetadata - Editing Binary Package Metadata

• SoftwarePackaging - Software Packaging

• SponsorChecklist - Sponsor Checklist

• HowToPackageForDebian - How to package for Debian

• AutomaticPackagingTools - Automatic Packaging Tools

• DEX - improving Debian and its derivatives through cross-community teamwork

• Repacking - Collecting information about repacking

• AutomakeTransition

• PackageConfigUpgrade - propose a new way to smoothly handle configuration upgrades during package upgrades

• DataPackages

• Diagrams - packaging related diagrams and sketches

• WNPP - Work-Needing and Prospective Packages list packages that have been requested for packaging, or need a new maintainer

• Salsa - collaborative development server for Debian based on the GitLab software

• CheckInstall - Build binary .deb packages from installation scripts (make install...)

• SimpleBackportCreation - Backport a DebianUnstable package to DebianStable

• SourceOnlyUpload - Source-only are uploads to the Debian archive that do not include a binary build of the Debian package

Training Sessions

From Debian Women

DebianWomen organise training sessions.

External links

• https://feeding.cloud.geek.nz/posts/whats-in-a-debian-directory/ - What's in a debian/ directory

• https://github.com/dod38fr/config-model/wiki/Managing-Debian-packages-with-cme - Managing Debian package files with cme

• https://packaging.ubuntu.com/ - Ubuntu Packaging Guide

• https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/ - APT HOWTO (Obsolete Documentation)

• https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/Debian-Binary-Package-Building-HOWTO.html Debian Binary Package Building HOWTO (2005)

• How to build and deploy a Debian Package with GitLab CI

• fpm can build .deb packages from various other package formats (rubygems, pip, pear, tar, npm, pacman...)

• Packaging - Ubuntu Wiki

• Debian build tools - Russ's Debian Notes

• Packaging Scripts for Debian - Russ's Debian Notes

See also:

• Debian adminstration - Rolling your own Debian packages (part 1)

• Autobuilding non-free packages

• A Debian packaging howto (2010)

• Avoid a newbie packager mistake: don’t build your Debian packages with dpkg -b

• Debuginfod eliminates the need for users to install debuginfo packages in order to debug programs using GDB, systemtap or other tools

• Browse through the source code of the Debian operating system

Wiki pages

All pages related to packaging in Debian:

CategoryPackaging | CategoryPortal