How to Create a Debian Package

In my previous blog, I've described how to create an RPM package. This time, I'm going to show you how to create a Debian package. I'm going to use the same code that's used in RPM tutorial blog. Creating a Debian package can be pretty complicated if we have to do it manually. Luckily there are some helper scripts that can make our lives easier.

1. Install devscripts and debhelper

sudo apt-get install devscripts debhelper

2. Create a simple hello.cpp

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    cout << "Hello World" << endl;
    return 0;
}

3. Create a Makefile

CC = g++ 
CCFLAGS = -g -Wall
SRC = hello.cpp
TARGET = hello

.PHONY: clean install

all: hello

install: $(TARGET)
    if [ -d ${DESTDIR} ]; then rm -rf ${DESTDIR}; fi
    mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}
    cp $(TARGET) ${DESTDIR} 

hello: 
    $(CC) $(CCFLAGS) -o $(TARGET) $(SRC)

clean:
    rm -rf $(TARGET)

4. In the directory where we created the above files, create a new debian directory

mkdir debian

5. Create a debian/changelog file

dch --create -v 0.1 --package hello

We can create this changelog file without using dch script, but the changelog file requires a particular format and the dch script can help to create a changelog template. The changelog file should look like this.

hello (0.1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low

  * Initial release. (Closes: #123)

 -- foo <foo@bar.com>  Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:16:42 +0800

6. Create a debian/compat
The content of this file is very simple. It just contains a number 8. This file is used to tell debhelper to use compatibility helper version 8. The file should look like this.

8

7. Create a debian/control file
This control file is used to describe the source and binary package and other information. This control file also has a particular format. Take a note that there's a space after the Description field. This to tell that it's an extended description. The description and extended description should be different; otherwise lintian (a tool to check the correctness of files rquired to create Debian packages) will complain. The control file should look like this.

Source: hello
Maintainer: foo <foo@bar.com>
Section: misc
Priority: optional
Standards-Version: 3.9.1
Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 8)

Package: hello
Architecture: any
Depends: ${shlibs:Depends}, ${misc:Depends}
Description: say hello
 say hello world

8. Create a debian/rules file
This file is basically a Makefile.

#!/usr/bin/make -f
%:
    dh $@

override_dh_auto_install:
    $(MAKE) DESTDIR=$$(pwd)/debian/hello/usr/bin install

The override_dh_auto_install is required because in our example, we have a custom make install target.
9. Create a debian/copyright file
For this tutorial, just create an empty copyright file.
10. To summarize, we should've already created all these files

/home/foo/testdeb/hello/hello.cpp
                       /Makefile
                       /debian/control
                       /copyright
                       /changelog
                       /compat
                       /rules

11. Create a Debian package

debuild -uc -us

-uc means don't sign the .changes file
-us means don't sign the source package
For more information about the options, read man dpkg-buildpackage.

You should now see your source and Debian packages in /home/foo/testdeb

12. Install the newly created Debian package

sudo dpkg -i hello_0.1_i386.deb

13. Test if hello program was successfully installed

hello

You should see "Hello World" output
14. Remove the hello package

sudo dpkg -r hello