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I would like to create an Ubuntu package from a single bash script I wrote.

Is there a simple instruction how to build an Ubuntu package, that can be uploaded to launchpad? (I already created the PPA and uploaded my PGP- and SSH-keys).

I already created successfully a debian package (with Packages.gz and a PPA hosted at github itself) but that package is missing the needed files that are required in this Ubuntu manual: Uploading a package to a PPA:

  • .dsc
  • .changes
  • .diff.gz or .debian.tar.gz
  • and optionally the .orig.tar.gz (if you used debuild -S -sa to build your package)

How do those files have to look like and how do I create them? (examples, commandline tools?)

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rubo77
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  • I don't know about simple, but I followed the links from your post to this article about building a package for Ubuntu : http://packaging.ubuntu.com/html/ – Charles Green Jul 09 '14 at 15:06
  • The first paragraph there on [2. Getting Set Up](http://packaging.ubuntu.com/html/getting-set-up.html) already describes that you have to install `pbuilder` which installs some GB on your system, is this really needed for my case? (only one bash script is tested and that works well) – rubo77 Jul 09 '14 at 15:10
  • I'm gonna guess since `pbuilder` is the "package builder", that you will be better off if you do install it. Perhaps a package could be built by hand by someone with sufficient knowledge. – Charles Green Jul 09 '14 at 15:12
  • You do not need pbuilder to make a .deb from a bash script, but it automates the process and interfaces with launchpad (your ppa). See http://askubuntu.com/questions/27715/create-a-deb-package-from-scripts-or-binaries and http://packaging.ubuntu.com/html/ . There is no real replacement for reading the packaging guidelines if you wish to package a .deb "properly", meaning minimize problems for people who want to use your .deb . Also, without proper packaging, your .deb will never be accepted into the official repos. – Panther Jul 09 '14 at 15:24
  • Those files are created by running `debuild -S -sa` or `debuild -S -sd`. `pbuilder` is when you want to test building the package in a clean chroot (where only the minimal Ubuntu packages are present. This is to test that you have covered all necessary dependencies. – saiarcot895 Jul 09 '14 at 16:10
  • If I use `debuild -S -sa` I get this error: `cannot find readable debian/changelog anywhere!` – rubo77 Jul 09 '14 at 16:19
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    There a few files deemed essential while building a Debian package: `debian/{changelog,compat,control,copyright,rules}` and a few others. Most packaging tutorials talk about them. You can use the command `dh_make -s -n` will generate a set of sample files needed, which you can customize accordingly. – muru Jul 10 '14 at 01:34
  • @rubo77: Note that you also need to be inside and at the top level of the source code tree; the `debian` folder must be a subfolder of your current directory. – saiarcot895 Jul 11 '14 at 02:10

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