How to use the command debuild (with examples)

Debuild is a tool used to build a Debian package from source. It is commonly used by developers who want to create packages for the Debian operating system. This article will provide examples for different use cases of the debuild command.

Use case 1: Build the package in the current directory

Code:

debuild

Motivation: When you want to build a Debian package from source, you can use the debuild command without any arguments. This will build the package in the current directory based on the package’s source files and the associated debian folder.

Explanation: Running debuild without any arguments tells the command to use the default options. It will look for the debian folder in the current directory and use the information specified in the files within that folder to create the package.

Example output:

...
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source package my-package
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source version 1.0.0-1
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source distribution unstable
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source changed by John Doe <john@example.com>
 dpkg-source --before-build .
 fakeroot debian/rules clean
...
 dpkg-source --after-build .
dpkg-buildpackage: info: binary components: my-package

Use case 2: Build a binary package only

Code:

debuild -b

Motivation: Sometimes, you may only want to build the binary package without rebuilding the source package. This can be useful when you have made changes to the source files and want to rebuild just the binary package to test those changes.

Explanation: The -b option tells debuild to build only the binary package, skipping the source package build. This means that it will not regenerate the source files or update the version information.

Example output:

...
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source package my-package
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source version 1.0.0-1
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source distribution unstable
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source changed by John Doe <john@example.com>
 dpkg-source --before-build .
 fakeroot debian/rules clean
...
 dpkg-source --after-build .
dpkg-buildpackage: info: binary components: my-package
dpkg-buildpackage: info: binary-only upload (no source included)

Use case 3: Do not run lintian after building the package

Code:

debuild --no-lintian

Motivation: Lintian is a tool used to check Debian packages for common packaging errors. By default, debuild runs lintian after building the package to check for any issues. However, in some cases, you may want to skip this step to save time or if you are confident that your package is already free from errors.

Explanation: The --no-lintian flag tells debuild not to run lintian after building the package. This flag can be useful when you are confident that your package is correctly built and you don’t need to run lintian at that moment.

Example output:

...
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source package my-package
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source version 1.0.0-1
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source distribution unstable
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source changed by John Doe <john@example.com>
dpkg-source --before-build .
...
dpkg-source --after-build .
dpkg-buildpackage: info: binary components: my-package

Conclusion:

The debuild command is a powerful tool for building Debian packages from source. By using different options, such as building in the current directory, building only the binary package, or skipping the lintian check, developers have more control over the packaging process. Understanding these different use cases allows for more efficient and tailored package creation.