package system and custom programs (front page apache)

["Chris Wong" <cjwong@istep.com>]

What's the best way to maintain using the debian package system (so I don't get 
errors when doing a dselect) when I want to have custom-compiled programs?

This is what I want to do:

Compile the apache frontpage server patch for apache 1.3.0.

What's the best way to do this so I don't interfere with dselect dependency 
problems w/ like php3, mysql, cgiwrap, etc.

I tried to add in the frontpage apache patch to the debian source files (.dsc, 
.orig, .diff, etc.), and create a new .deb but I had these problems: 

I downloaded the apache 1.3.0 source files from debian.org, but after I patched 
the source w/ the frontpage stuff and ran: dpkg-source -x .dsc I got errors 
about file sizes not matching.  I could probably change the file sizes in .dsc 
but is this a safe way to do it (i.e., will the .diff file have problems)?

Should I just abandon the debian package system and just install apache 
manually?  But then I'll have to install php, etc. manually too right?

Any thoughts appreciated on the best way to do this.

Thanks,
Chris