Packaging source code and Debian diffs (was: [CMake] Producing deb package with 'ar')

[Ben Finney <bignose+hates-spam@benfinney.id.au>]

"Mathieu Malaterre" <mathieu.malaterre@gmail.com> writes:

> If there is no original source code - for example, if the package is
> specially prepared for Debian or the Debian maintainer is the same
> as the upstream maintainer - the format is slightly different: then
> there is no diff, and the tarfile is named package_version.tar.gz,
> and preferably contains a directory named package-version

Even if the same person shares both "upstream author" and "Debian
packager" roles, it is highly recommended that you generate a
'foo_1.0.orig.tar.gz' containing the source code that is not
Debian-specific, and a 'foo_1.0-1.diff.gz' patch file that applies the
Debian-specific changes to make it a package.

This way, the source code can more easily be used and tracked on
non-Debian distributions, and transformed simply into a non-Debian
package.

The lack of a 'foo_1.0-1.diff.gz' implies that the package is *only*
ever of use on a Debian system, and is of no purpose outside a Debian
system. If that's not true for your package, you should make it like
any other non-native package.

    <URL:http://people.debian.org/~mpalmer/debian-mentors_FAQ.html#packaging>

-- 
 \      "Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity |
  `\     of the graveyard."  -- Justice Roberts in 319 U.S. 624 (1943) |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney