The ‘gbp’ command is a system that integrates the Debian package build system with Git. It is used to manage and build Debian packages using Git as the version control system. With ‘gbp’, you can convert existing Debian packages to Git, build packages, import new upstream releases, and more.

Use case 1: Convert an existing Debian package to gbp

Code:

gbp import-dsc path/to/package.dsc

Motivation: Converting an existing Debian package to ‘gbp’ allows you to benefit from the advantages of using Git for version control and collaboration. It makes it easier to apply patches, track changes, and manage the package across different versions.

Explanation:

• import-dsc: The ‘import-dsc’ subcommand is used to import an existing Debian package in the DSC (Debian Source Control) format into a ‘gbp’ repository.
• path/to/package.dsc: Specifies the path to the DSC file of the Debian package to be imported.

Example output:

Importing package 'package'...
[INFO]: Importing package 'package' using DSC source format.
[INFO]: Importing package 'package' version '1.0.0-1'
[INFO]: Cleaning up git repository in debian/gbp-import
[INFO]: Adding upstream tag for 'package_1.0.0.orig.tar.gz'
[INFO]: Creating new branch 'upstream' from 'upstream/focal'
[INFO]: Creating new branch for Debian revision(s) 'debian/focal'

Use case 2: Build the package in the current directory using the default builder (debuild)

Code:

gbp buildpackage -jauto -us -uc

Motivation: Building a package using ‘gbp’ allows you to automate the process and ensure consistency across different environments. The ‘-us -uc’ options instruct ‘gbp’ to not sign the changes and the source package, which is useful when building packages for testing or local use.

Explanation:

• buildpackage: The ‘buildpackage’ subcommand is used to build a Debian package.
• -jauto: Specifies the number of parallel jobs to use during the build process. Using ‘-jauto’ automatically determines the optimal number based on the available resources.
• -us -uc: Specifies that the generated changes file and the source package should not be signed.

Example output:

Building package in /path/to/package
[...]
dpkg-buildpackage: info: binary-only upload (no source included)
Now running lintian...
W: package: binary-without-manpage usr/bin/package

Use case 3: Build a package in a pbuilder environment for Debian Bullseye

Code:

DIST=bullseye ARCH=amd64 gbp buildpackage -jauto -us -uc --git-builder=git-pbuilder

Motivation: Building a package in a pbuilder environment for a specific Debian release ensures that the package is compatible and can be installed and used in that release. This is useful for testing and verifying the package’s functionality.

Explanation:

• DIST=bullseye: Sets the target Debian release to Bullseye.
• ARCH=amd64: Specifies the target architecture as amd64.
• --git-builder=git-pbuilder: Specifies the Git builder to be used for building the package.

Example output:

Building package in /path/to/package
[...]
dpkg-buildpackage: info: source-only upload (source is already included)
Now running lintian...
W: package: binary-without-manpage usr/bin/package

Use case 4: Specify a package to be a source-only upload in the .changes file

Code:

gbp buildpackage -jauto -us -uc --changes-options=-S

Motivation: Specifying a package to be a source-only upload in the .changes file is useful when you want to submit a package to the Debian archive without including the binary builds. This is helpful when submitting changes or updates to the source code without rebuilding and redistributing the binaries.

Explanation:

• --changes-options=-S: Specifies additional options to be passed to the dpkg-genchanges command, in this case, to mark the package as a source-only upload.

Example output:

Building package in /path/to/package
[...]
dpkg-genchanges -S > /path/to/package/changelog_1.0.0-1_source.changes
Now running lintian...
W: package: binary-without-manpage usr/bin/package

Use case 5: Import a new upstream release

Code:

gbp import-orig --pristine-tar path/to/package.tar.gz

Motivation: Importing a new upstream release allows you to keep your Git repository up to date with the latest changes from the upstream source. This makes it easier to track changes, apply patches, and manage the package.

Explanation:

• import-orig: The ‘import-orig’ subcommand is used to import a new upstream release into the ‘gbp’ repository.
• --pristine-tar path/to/package.tar.gz: Specifies the path to the tarball of the new upstream release. The ‘–pristine-tar’ option ensures that only the changes between releases are tracked.

Example output:

Importing new upstream release with pristine tar 'package_1.1.0.orig.tar.gz'...
[INFO]: determining Debian release (netlink)
[INFO]: Found 'upstream' branch.
[INFO]: Determining upstream branch... 'master'
[INFO]: New upstream version 1.1.0 imported.

Conclusion:

The ‘gbp’ command is a powerful tool for managing and building Debian packages using Git. It offers a range of functionalities such as converting packages to Git, building packages, importing new releases, and more. By integrating the Debian package build system with Git, ‘gbp’ simplifies and automates the package management process, making it easier to collaborate, track changes, and manage packages across different versions.