[02:20] <zcot> Hi. I'm stuck, from information overload. I've read way too many articles, guides and tutorials in the past few weeks. -wanting to get involved, but I'm just stuck. The packaging guides seems broken, I guess? I'm hoping someone can nudge me out of this stalemate. Is there any functioning guide to package a Hello World type of project where there is no upstream? Anybody up to chat for a few minutes or direct me to an appropriate place?
[03:11] <tsimonq2> zcot: Hey there, still around?
[03:11] <zcot> tsimonq2: yep. Hi.
[03:11] <tsimonq2> zcot: So, you're wanting to get involved in Ubuntu Development, or you want to just learn about packaging for something else?
[03:12] <tsimonq2> Either way, I'm willing to point you in the right direction. :)
[03:13] <tsimonq2> (Because if it's the former of the two, this is absolutely the right place.)
[03:14] <zcot> Well, I've done hobby programming for years. And just looking to get deeper into the debian/ubuntu system. I have done a simple program and figured I'd just run that through the process to learn about it.
[03:16] <tsimonq2> Sure. Programming isn't exactly packaging; it's different in both spots.
[03:16] <tsimonq2> zcot: Got a link to your program anywhere?
[03:17] <tsimonq2> (Or is it just something you have locally?)
[03:17] <zcot> Maybe I just try to learn how to do a ppa? probably with a botched packaging attempt? lol. -since I'm not getting the info right, I keep getting bad version or attempts that just fail with some bzr plugin or something.
[03:17] <tsimonq2> The package guide needs some tidying up because you don't need Bazaar to do anything with a PPA. :)
[03:18] <zcot> I do have it on github: https://github.com/zcot/list-apt-installs
[03:19] <zcot> yea, I'm kinda questioning myself about that.. there's bzr, git, cvs, I mean I see that there's various tools to integrate with launchpad. I'm scratching my head about it.. at the fork of these things.
[03:21] <tsimonq2> zcot: Do you have some packaging yet?
[03:21] <zcot> I did actually "build a .deb". and it did turn around and install correctly with the package manager. But I don't understand it.. I didn't have any make file in it. I just put a 'install' file in /debian and copying things.
[03:22] <tsimonq2> Oh.
[03:23] <zcot> tsimonq2: no, not really. I've played with it in various ways a bunch of times. using debian dh_make, or trying through bzr plugin.. or found a guide where you just create /debian and add 4 files.
[03:24] <tsimonq2> zcot: Here's what I would do if I were you (and I'm willing to help). Use dh_make in a fresh directory, after putting your source code in a .tar.gz file. Then, use https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ to understand and sort through things.
[03:25] <tsimonq2> I usually just rm debian/*{ex,EX} debian/README.*
[03:25] <tsimonq2> That leaves (pretty much) the core files that you can tweak.
[03:25] <zcot> so, the idea is to do an out-of-tree situation. it's not about actual building in the source?
[03:25] <tsimonq2> Right.
[03:25] <tsimonq2> So, you tar up your source, then dh_make will prompt you for that tar.
[03:26] <zcot> ok, so that's been confusing to me all along.
[03:27] <tsimonq2> Maybe this might have been confusing you... there's two different types of "main" packages. You *can* do the debian packaging with the tarball, but that assumes that you're shipping the upstream right into these sources.
[03:27] <tsimonq2> If you want to do other packaging for other distros, it's recommended to separate it.
[03:27] <tsimonq2> Separating it is the method which is typically used and the one that I'm recommending you use.
[03:29] <tsimonq2> zcot: When you have your packaging, mind throwing it somewhere so I can take a look?
[03:29] <zcot> tsimonq2: ok. let me ask. when i tar up the source. what actually is that? that would be pre-configure state? correct? in my case, only cmake configuration file(and docs and such).. no binary/makefiles/object, etc?
[03:30] <tsimonq2> zcot: `git clone https://github.com/zcot/list-apt-installs.git && tar cvf list-apt-installs.tar list-apt-installs` :)
[03:30] <zcot> right there. ok. ;)
[03:35] <zcot> tsimonq2: so, then I'll need to understand the .. probably.. /debian/rules file.
[03:39] <tsimonq2> zcot: So, try taking a peek at the debian/rules file
[03:39] <tsimonq2> Let me find you a few examples real quick
[03:40] <zcot> I can do an attempt with the /debian stuff as far as I understand it, which I think is ok, except for probably version, maybe (native) or (quilt) thing. But that's just info, so the action stuff though. I got nothing. the cmake file needs to be called. the /usr/local/docs stuff. /man.
[03:40] <zcot> yea, that would be great, because I only see some macro thing maybe from dh_make which is.. I have no clue even. O_O
[03:40] <tsimonq2> (native) or (quilt) is what I described earlier with the tarball. Native is baked in with the source and Quilt is with a separate tar.
[03:41] <tsimonq2> zcot: Here's a cmake-based package I maintain in Debian: https://salsa.debian.org/qt-kde-team/extras/vc/blob/master/debian/rules
[03:41] <tsimonq2> Feel free to take whatever you'd like from there.
[03:41] <zcot> yea.. lol O_O
[03:42] <zcot> Ok.
[03:42] <tsimonq2> It's a bit complex, but once you get the moving parts and what they do, it's easy. :)
[03:42] <tsimonq2> When in doubt, consult the Debian Policy Manual. :D
[03:44] <zcot> Alright, so I just gave up really on the /debian stuff before I committed to github. But I'll go ahead with that part, and I think with all the reading and guides I have I should be able to get really close anyway. ;)
[03:48] <zcot> tsimonq2: Thank you. I appreciate it.
[03:49] <tsimonq2> zcot: No problem, anytime. :)
[03:59]  * tsimonq2 goes to bed, ping with any more questions if you have them. :)
[23:18] <zcot> Hi tsimonq2, I made an attempt at a package and. there were a couple warnings and errors, but i do end up with a .deb. and the orig.tar.gz source, and debian.tar.xz required and control stuff, and the .dsc lists both of those packages but the .deb only installs the /usr/share/doc stuff so that's not right. But it was kinda cool anyway. lol. I don't end up with any diff around that package. had to rename /debian to /DEBIAN or vice-versa and the local
[23:18] <zcot> directory ends up being some weird recursive debian debian stack of things.. I have no clue what I'm doing really. Anyway, I'll keep plugging away.