[ILUG] debian packaging questions

[Rick Moen]

Quoting John P. Looney (valen at tuatha.org):

>  I'm not sure if these things can be done on debian...but here is hoping.
> 
>  Some of my favourite commands on redhat were:
> 
>     rpm -qf file            (find out what package owns a specific file)
>     rpm -i http://path.to/source.srpm             (install a source rpm)
>     rpm -bp SPECS/file.spec (unpack and prepare a source RPM for building)
> 
>  Can these be done on debian ? 

John, I see this has been answered a few times, but you might find
worthwhile the snippet I have about this hiding in
http://linuxmafia.com/debian/tips .  Quoting:



If you're going to build software from source code, make sure you
install the "build-essential" package.

Then:

     # apt-get build-dep package

...will ensure that you've satisfied the package's build dependencies.

     # apt-get source package

...retrieve the package's source tree, and unpacks it into the current
directory.

cd into the tree, and make any desired source changes.  The ./debian
directory contains package metadata / build instructions.  While in the 
source tree, executing

     # dpkg-buildpackage

...compiles the package, and places a .deb file in the parent directory,
which you can then install with dkpg -i (using fake root or logged in
as the root user).

E.g.,

     # dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc
     ("-us" means unsigned source.  "-uc" means unsigned changes.)

(Alternatively, cd into the source directory, and do "debian/rules
binary" using fakeroot or logged in as the root user.)


The apt-build utility can help this process:

Description: Frontend to apt to build, optimize and install packages
  This is an apt-get front-end for compiling software optimized
  for your architecture by creating a local repository with built packages.
  It can manage system upgrade too.


The pentium-builder package will let you set system-wide options so that
all compiles from source will be optimised for your CPU architecture.
(Despite the name, it can optimise for Athlon, etc.)


The apt-src package is a much cleaner, newer, and more comprehensive 
alternative to dpkg-buildpackage, "for downloading, installing,
upgrading, and tracking Debian source packages".  The manpage gives 
some good examples of usage:

      To install the source to pine to /usr/src, build it, and install the
       resulting debs:

         apt-src install --location=/usr/src -i pine

       To track changes to said installed pine source package, and install
       debs whenever a new version comes out:

         apt-src install -i pine

       To install a local copy of package foo, which you are going to apply a
       local patch to:

         apt-src install foo
         cd foo-version
         patch <~/my-foo-patch
         apt-src build --installdebs foo

       To upgrade your local copy of foo, bringing your patch forward, and
       building and installing new debs:

         apt-src install -i foo

       To import the source tree in /usr/src/linux, which you unpacked from a
       ftp.kernel.org tarball (or from the kernel-source package) into
       apt-src, so it knows about it:

         apt-src import kernel --location=/usr/src/linux --version=2.4.18

       [...]

Quoting author Joey Hess:

"'apt-src install' source gives you a source-version tree in the
[current
directory].  Modify to suit, and 'apt-src build' source. If a new
version
comes along, 'apt-src upgrade' source to upgrade the tree, patching your
local changes forward.  Pass in --installdebs to any of these commands
to make it build and install a .deb."


To compile kernels and auto-generate .deb packages, install and use the 
kernel-package package (which provides the make-kpkg utility).

     $ cd /directory/where/you/unpacked/a/kernel/tarball
     $ make config | make menuconfig | make xconfig | make oldconfig
     $ make-kpkg clean
     $ make-kpkg --initrd --revision=custom.1.0 kernel_image
     # (as root, or using fakeroot)  dpkg -i
     # ../kernel-image-X.XXX_1.0_.deb