Re: What's the proper way to build from debian dsc
On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 8:59 PM, T o n g <mlist4suntong@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 24 May 2013 02:14:39 +0000, T o n g wrote:
>
>> I'm a system learner. I.e., I learn through build up my overall
>> knowledge first, before rolling up my sleeves and dive in. While trying
>> to learn to maintain debian packages, I realized that there are A LOT to
>> learn, which is hard. And I found what makes it even harder is that I
>> have to learn such practical things bits by bits here and there. I.e.,
>> if such practical issues has been written out clearly, my life would be
>> much easier.
>
> I had always been trying to maintain some useful debian packages that are
> orphaned. More than 10 years ago, when glimpse was removed from the repo
> [1], I told myself it was time to learn to maintain debian packages, so
> that I could maintain glimpse (IMHO, glimpse is so far still the best
> *personal* searching tool, and I still think it is more a 'political'
> decision for it to be removed).
>
> [1] http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2001/09/msg00312.html
>
> But I have to admit that maintaining debian/ubuntu packages is convoluted
> to me, even though I've tried to pick it up many times. I was always
> defeated merely by reading through the overwhelmingly vast information,
> and made only half way through. So it never happened.
>
> More than 10 years later, now I'm hoping to do it with a different
> approach. In stead of starting background reading from the start over and
> over again and never able to make it to the end, I'm going to start with
> the easiest step that I can think of -- try to build and upload a
> orphaned/removed package as the first step.
>
> So I found the glimpse dsc file at
> ftp://ftp.cstone.net/debian/pool/non-free/g/glimpse/glimpse_4.18.5-1.dsc
>
> Can anyone explain me in simple commands how I can build and test upload
> this glimpse package please? Of course, starting from to get it, and then
> properly update the debian/changelog, all the way to test upload, in as
> few steps as possible.
>
> Maybe "increase the least significant version # and add my change
> comment, and my id" can be handled by a single properly parameterized dch
> command, or maybe not. But proper commands always speaks for themselves.
>
> Thanks
Fetch the source tarball and debian diff:
$ dget ftp://ftp.cstone.net/debian/pool/non-free/g/glimpse/glimpse_4.18.5-1.dsc
$ cd glimpse-4.18.5
Add new changelog entry:
$ dch -i
Build (an unsigned) package:
$ dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -us -uc
Upload to ftpmaster.d.o (but there's no point in doing this if you're
not a DD/DM):
$ dput glimpse_$VERSION_$ARCH.changes
There's obviously more to it, e.g. working with a patch system (quilt,
or a VCS), running lintian, building in a clean environment with tools
like pbuilder/sbuild, etc., but that'll get you started. One word of
advice: pick a package that's more modern to learn from. Modern,
short-hand dh is generally easier to work with (especially for simple
packages) than classic debhelper.
Regards,
Vincent
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