Re: backporting Questions
Elliot Dray wrote:
1) when you issue the command "apt-get -b build-dep" what exactly does the
build-dep do, does it install dependencies from the branch your trying to
install the package from?
I think you have this command confused with another.
apt-get build-dep packagename
I got that command from an email on this list and when you run it, it does
work (or at least it doesn't error).
fakeroot apt-get -b source packagename
This command is not run as root. It downloads the package source. It
then builds the package. To build the package it needs root-like
privileges and so use fakeroot. But don't use real root.
Is it just because of good practice why you shouldn't use root? there is no
technical reason, is there?
1a) when it lists the files to be installed, what happens if they have
dependencies, do you have to keep drilling down?
>1b) is there a script out there to automate the drill down?
If there are build dependencies then the apt-get build-dep should
install them. If there is a dependency upon another package in
unstable which needs to be backported then you need to start again at
the beginning and to backport that package first.
So you have to find the root and work forwards, ok. Does anyone have a
script that can do this or is it a by hand job?
1c)do you end up with a system at testing or unstable by stealth, because
it has recursively installed so many products?
Yes, no, maybe. It depends upon what you are installing and how you
define things.
As a test I was thinking of evms (only as a test) or request-tracker3. I
suppose it depends on how many programs you have to backport in order to get
the one you want to backport successfully. I'm not sure what you mean by how
you define things?
2) will these dependency files overwrite existing files?
3) can you remove these dependant files after you've managed to install
your package, as one email I found indicated?
What are dependency files? I could not deduce to what you were refering.
I was basically refering to the files that get installed as part of the
build-dep, once you've managed to build your backport can you remove these
files that were pulled down in order to satisfy the dependencies so that
your package would build from source. Again this was what was said in
another post awhile back.
4) if a package is very easy to backport, why isn't this done as part of
the original build process?
Because it is an arbitrary line between packages that you want to have
in the backport and all packages. For example, why isn't glibc
backported? Pretty much at the point in time that you backport
everything you now have testing/unstable. So this is only viable when
you want to stay on stable but also want or need a few specific
targeted packages.
Ok, understand, but wouldn't it be viable for some packages which have few
dependencies (and backport easily) to be backported at the time of creation
by the developer? just a thought
5) In one email I saw this command " apt-get -b build-dep
packagename/testing", this format didn't work for me as apt tried to find
packagename/testing instead of packagename in the testing branch. Is this
suppose to work?
Hmm... Can't say. I don't know. I am not an expert on pinning. I
usually avoid pinning.
ok, no worries
Bob
Thanks for your answers, things are clearer now and I'll have a play with a
big program and a small one to see what effect it has on my system.
Elliot
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