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Here we take the example of the package mame, from which we want to install a newer release availaible in sid/experimental. If the package you're looking for not available in Sid, but in a Ubuntu PPA, you can have a look at CreatePackageFromPPA.
We don't need to be root here except the first and last steps.
Contents
- Install Debian packaging tools
- Find which version is available in the debian archive
- Download the .dsc file from the sid release
- Find and Install missing build dependencies as found in debian/control
- Indicate in the changelog a backport revision number
- Test if we can successfully build the package
- Build a package properly , without GPG signing the package
- Install and enjoy !
- Go further
Install Debian packaging tools
sudo apt-get install packaging-dev debian-keyring devscripts equivs
Find which version is available in the debian archive
rmadison mame --architecture amd64 mame | 0.146-5 | wheezy/non-free | amd64 mame | 0.146-5 | jessie/non-free | amd64 mame | 0.146-5 | sid/non-free | amd64 mame | 0.148-1 | experimental/non-free | amd64
Download the .dsc file from the sid release
From your web browser at http://packages.debian.org/sid/mame, look at the dsc file and copy the link location
dget -x http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/non-free/m/mame/mame_0.148-1.dsc
Note: If the above command complains about your ~/.gnupg directory not being found, run gpg -k to initialize the GnuPG directory before retrying.
Find and Install missing build dependencies as found in debian/control
cd mame-0.148 sudo mk-build-deps --install --remove
This will install a package named mame-build-deps depending on the listed build dependencies. If you remove this package later, the actual build dependencies will be marked as "automatically installed and no longer needed" and can be cleared with apt-get autoremove.
Indicate in the changelog a backport revision number
dch --local ~bpo70+ --distribution wheezy-backports "Rebuild for wheezy-backports."
This will add something like ~bpo70+ to the package version number. The tilde ~ makes the package inferior in version, which should allow a proper package upgrade when you upgrade to the next debian release (ie your package will be replaced with the official debian package)
Test if we can successfully build the package
fakeroot debian/rules binary
Build a package properly , without GPG signing the package
dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc
Install and enjoy !
sudo dpkg -i ../mame_0.148-1_amd64.deb
Go further
You could have a look BuildingFormalBackports and contribute your backport to Debian as explained here: http://backports.debian.org/Contribute/