forking packages and private archive

[pjordan@whitehorse.blackwire.com]

Hi,

	I have had to make numerous changes to numerous packages
	to accomplish my goals with debian-ppc, I have also
	submitted numerous bug reports some of which are still
	outstanding and some of which are yet to hit the lists.

	I can not rely upon 'upstream' to incorporate my changes
	in a timely fashion in order to accomplish my goals and
	it has been necessary for me to maintain several
	packages with my own patches in them, including a kernel
	patch.  I just don't have the time to get a one line
	kernel patch integrated upstream, I have already
	spent many hours convincing people that my patch is
	required, and only accomplished wasted time on my part.

So of course I don't want to fork packages either, but sometimes
my bug reports just go ignored or rejected since they don't
concern anyone else (I am doing new things on a not too well supported
architecture). 

When I go to install a system (I am working with more than 70), I 
need it to get "my" packages in replacement of the ones
from the default mirror, but otherwise I would like to track
the default mirror (and I will keep submitting bug reports - sigh).

So what is the best way to do this ?


Some of the packages I am modifying:

kernel-source - one line fix to net/ipv4/arp.c
rootskel - completely modified and renamed
busybox - Config.h-udeb change and "one line" hack (commented out a section)
dhcp-server - one line change to handle vendor-class
debian-installer - extensive changes, but mostly still the same
	- too many small changes to expect to do bug reports (at this stage of
	development.
	- calls apt in its makefile to download udebs from a mirror as well


I may have missed a few..

I am not sure if I should create my own installer package (non-interactive)
using debian-installer and a forked rootskel or if I should  merge the two and
create a new package.  debian-installer is still in its infancy
and can expect to see drastic changes any one of which can
break what I am doing in completely unexpected ways.  I need
to make sure that my work still works when I move on to another
client and my time is focused on a different (open source) project.

Anyway.  It would really simplify things if I could maintain
a partial mirror and have the appropriate "Release" and "Packages"
files created automatically.

I have played with many suggestions already 
searching for a program that can generate properly formatted
"Release" files.  Surely such code already exists and I don't
have to reinvent this wheel as was suggested in the mailing list archives.

Debian mirror maintainers, where do I find this script ?

Thank you, and I welcome suggestions, pointers and advice
regarding the above topics.  I am indeed slowly compiling
a a website to describe what exactly I am doing with
the goal of making it a simply "apt-get" + debconf task
for someone to repeat.

(the kernel patch breaks that simplicity though)

Peter
freelance hacker/debugger - avail. for hire