discuss: Discussion: Debian deb MINI-HOWTO
Subject:
Discussion: Debian deb MINI-HOWTO
From:
"Chr. Clemens Lee" ####@####.####
Date:
4 Dec 2002 20:50:30 -0000
Message-Id: <200212042050.gB4KoLWG030221@smtp.hispeed.ch>
Hi,
I have rewritten the first section/introduction, hope it makes it clear what
this howto is and what not. I have actually taken one sentence from Colin.
Again, any feedback or recommendation is highly appreciated.
"This mini-HOWTO shows how to build a minimal Debian .deb package.
The intended use of such a newly created archive is to install it only on
your own box, not to get them into the official Debian distribution. To
follow the 'official' process, please study the Debian New Maintainers' Guide.
Normal Debian packages get a proper source package, including a debian/rules
file which automates the steps involved in creating the binary package. Here
we just show how to package a simple shell script or binary executable into a
small binary package.
Btw, I assume you know how to use 'tar', 'man', and what a '.tar.gz' file and
Debian is (and how to use an editor ;-), but I assume you have never touched
programs like 'ar' or 'dpkg'."
Regarding the topic, this is now my favorite headline:
"How to Create Your First Debian Package"
But it wasn't so easy for me to settle on it, especially to find a short one
and one that has the word "mini-HOWTO" in it. But looking through the list of
mini howtos, not each one follows a strict rule and I think the above title
captures the content of the article best. Even if it has not the word HOWTO
in it. The proposed title from Colin I did not like so much, since
'Low-level' and 'hacking' suggests, the reader would learn a lot of details,
but I think the article shows just the minimum to get a .deb package out the
door, but the reader would still not know many low level details. Adding the
word "First" into the title I hope makes it clear that this article just
helps to build a first basic package and nothing more and the reader can then
go somewhere else for further studies.
Just in case someone is not happy with the above suggestion, here is every
title I have considered. If anyone wants to make another suggestion, this is
of course most welcome.
<!--<title>How to Create Your Own Debian Package</title>-->
<!--<title>Low-Level .deb Hacking mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Debian .deb mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Creating Your First Debian Package mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Building Your First .deb Package mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Debian Package Building mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Building Your First Debian Package mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>How to Build Your First Debian Package</title>-->
<!--<title>Building Your First Debian Package Mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Creating Your First Debian Package Mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<title>How to Create Your First Debian Package</title>
<!--<title>Creating Your First .deb Package mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Your First .deb Package mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>deb mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>.deb mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Debian Binary package mini-HOWTO</title>-->
<!--<title>Debian Binary Package Format mini-HOWTO</title>-->
I have not focussed on docbook and other formal aspects yet, I first wanted
to know if everyone is basically happy with the content.
The original article is still at:
http://www.kclee.com/clemens/unix/HowToCreateYourOwnDebianPackage.html
Many thanks for your time and help,
Clemens
On Monday 02 December 2002 01:34 am, Colin Watson wrote:
> On Sun, Dec 01, 2002 at 03:54:35PM -0800, Tabatha Persad wrote:
> > I'm forwarding a copy of this message to the discussion list, at
> > ####@####.#### where the folks can provide you feedback on your
> > proposed HOWTO.
>
> I would call the HOWTO something different, such as "Low-Level .deb
> Hacking mini-HOWTO". Normal Debian packages get a proper source package,
> including a debian/rules file which automates the steps involved in
> creating the binary package. The tools that have been written for that
> actually make the job much *easier* than the process you describe, at
> least once you're familiar with them; people getting started with
> building packages really aren't expected to muck around with dpkg-deb by
> hand.
>
> You do go into this in the "What Else" chapter, but I think the emphasis
> of the HOWTO should be clear from the outset.
>
> Cheers,
