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Making DEB packages ​

Context ​

  • The control file is the most important file in a DEB package; it encodes information about the package and the program it installs.
  • A DEB package has a directory structure that shadows the file system. In reality, the installation procedure is better understood as a copy procedure. In this way, when a package is installed the files contained within the DEB archive are copied to the same location on the host computer (e.g. /usr/bin/an_important_file in the DEB archive is copied to /usr/bin/an_important_file on the host computer)
  1. Organize files like so
/project-name
|-- file1.sh
|-- file2.sh
|-- debian
    |-- control
    |-- prerm
    |-- preinst
/project-name
|-- file1.sh
|-- file2.sh
|-- debian
    |-- control
    |-- prerm
    |-- preinst

Methods to Create a DEB Package ​

cpack

  • Creates a deb file given the contents specified in the CMakeLists.txt

dpkg-deb

  • Management tool for DEB archives -b <name_of_deb_file>: Packages the specified folder into a DEB archive -c <name_of_deb_file>.deb: Shows the files contained within the DEB package

dpkg

  • Debian package manager -l: List installed packages -c/--contents: Shows the contained files within the .DEB archive. --status <name_of_deb_package>: Shows details of a package installed on the system --info <name_of_deb_package>.deb: Shows details of .DEB archive (prior to installation)

The below code is one way to create a deb file from within CMake

include(InstallRequiredSystemLibraries)
set(CPACK_GENERATOR "DEB")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY "Description")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VENDOR "Your Vendor Name")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_HOMEPAGE_URL "Homepage URL")
set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_MAINTAINER "Your Name")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_CONTACT "[email protected]")
set(CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_LICENSE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/LICENSE")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY "CMake ${CMake_VERSION_MAJOR}.${CMake_VERSION_MINOR}")
if( DEVELOP )
  set(CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME ${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}-dev)
else()
  set(CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME ${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME})
endif()
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR ${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR})
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MINOR ${PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR})
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_PATCH ${PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH})
if( DEVELOP )
  set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "libtest-dev, libattempt-dev")
else()
  set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "libtest, libattempt")
endif()

execute_process(
  COMMAND dpkg --print-architecture
  RESULT_VARIABLE RESULT_VAR
  OUTPUT_VARIABLE SYS_ARCH
  OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
)
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME ${CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME}-${CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR}.${CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MINOR}.${CPACK_PACKAGE_      VERSION_PATCH}-${SYS_ARCH})
include(CPack)

set_target_properties(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME} PROPERTIES ENABLE_EXPORTS 1)
include(InstallRequiredSystemLibraries)
set(CPACK_GENERATOR "DEB")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY "Description")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VENDOR "Your Vendor Name")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_HOMEPAGE_URL "Homepage URL")
set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_MAINTAINER "Your Name")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_CONTACT "[email protected]")
set(CPACK_RESOURCE_FILE_LICENSE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/LICENSE")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY "CMake ${CMake_VERSION_MAJOR}.${CMake_VERSION_MINOR}")
if( DEVELOP )
  set(CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME ${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}-dev)
else()
  set(CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME ${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME})
endif()
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR ${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR})
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MINOR ${PROJECT_VERSION_MINOR})
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_PATCH ${PROJECT_VERSION_PATCH})
if( DEVELOP )
  set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "libtest-dev, libattempt-dev")
else()
  set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "libtest, libattempt")
endif()

execute_process(
  COMMAND dpkg --print-architecture
  RESULT_VARIABLE RESULT_VAR
  OUTPUT_VARIABLE SYS_ARCH
  OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
)
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME ${CPACK_PACKAGE_NAME}-${CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR}.${CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MINOR}.${CPACK_PACKAGE_      VERSION_PATCH}-${SYS_ARCH})
include(CPack)

set_target_properties(${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME} PROPERTIES ENABLE_EXPORTS 1)

The sources.list file and sources.list.d directory ​

The /etc/apt/sources.list file is the file that outlines to repositoires that apt searches for updates and packages.

By placing other list files in the /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ directory then chagnes to the available repos on your system can be made without touching the central /etc /apt/sources.list file. If you're on Ubuntu 22 and need your packages seached in the Ubuntu 20 repo, change the places where is says jammy to bionic.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES