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Re: Simple Debian Package Creation?



Zach Garner <zach@awarix.com> writes:

> First: 
>   1. The sheer number of helper scripts, with layers and layers of
> scripts built on top of each other is really confusing. 

Hm?  Do you mean the debhelper scripts?  Those significantly help
simplify the writing of debian/rules.  Of course, if you don't like
them, you don't have to use them.

>   2. The number of files that I have to create within the /debian
> directory is difficult to deal with, and having to create the /debian
> directory within my application directory and being forced to name my
> application directory according to debian rules is very irritating. 

Only a couple files in debian/ are actually required.  No one forces you
to name your directory anything.

>   3. Most of the package creation scripts (I'm refering explicitly to
> dh_make which is supposed to be the proper way of creating a package, as
> discussed in the New Maintainer's Guide) expect that you are building a
> traditional unix application, that's written in C, has ./configure and a
> Makefile. All we are doing in most of our packages is installing some
> files. Why can't that be simple?

It can be.  dh_make is pretty crappy a lot of the time.  Either undo its
damage or just don't use it to begin with.

> Second, why can't I create packages with standard unix commands? Why
> can't I say something like:
>   $ tar cvzf data.tgz myapplication/*
>   $ tar czvf control.tgz control
>   $ tar czvf mypackage-0.1.deb data.tgz control.tgz

I don't know.  Why can't you?  Those no reason you shouldn't be able to
built a .deb by hand.

-- 
Blast you and your estrogenical treachery!



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