Updated: Dec. 28, 2010, 4:50 p.m.

Debian Packages

Tools

sudo apt-get install dpkg gcc make build-essential dpkg-dev lintian

Naming Convention

packagename_version_arch.deb

Layout

debian-binary   - contains version number (2.0)
control.tar.gz  - instructions on what to do after installation
    conffiles   - information about configuration files
    control
    md5sums
    postinst
    prerm       - removal instructions
data.tar.gz - the actual package "payload"

Sample "control" file

Package: acme
Version: 1.0
Section: web 
Priority: optional
Architecture: all
Essential: no
Depends: libwww-perl, acme-base (>= 1.2)
Pre-Depends: perl 
Recommends: mozilla | netscape  
Suggests: docbook 
Installed-Size: 1024
Maintainer: Joe Brockmeier [jzb@dissociatedpress.net]
Conflicts: wile-e-coyote
Replaces: sam-sheepdog
Provides: acme
Description: The description can contain free-form text
             describing the function of the program, what
             kind of features it has, and so on.
.
More descriptive text.

Commands

References