This section explains how to convert an existing Debian package to
this workflow. It should be skipped when debianising a new package.
-=head2 No existing git history
+If you have an existing git history that you have pushed to an
+ordinary git server like B<salsa.debian.org>, we start with that. If
+you don't already have it locally, you'll need to clone it, and obtain
+the corresponding orig.tar from the archive:
+
+=over 4
+
+ % git clone salsa.debian.org:Debian/foo
+ % cd foo
+ % dgit setup-new-tree
+ % origtargz
+
+=back
+
+If you don't have any existing git history, or you have history only
+on the special B<dgit-repos> server, we start with B<dgit clone>:
=over 4
% dgit clone foo
% cd foo
+
+=back
+
+Then we make new upstream tags available:
+
+=over 4
+
% git remote add -f upstream https://some.upstream/foo.git
=back
-=head2 Existing git history using another workflow
+We now use a B<git debrebase convert-from-*> command to convert your
+existing history to the git-debrebase(5) data model. Which command
+you should use depends on some facts about your repository:
-First, if you don't already have the git history locally, clone it,
-and obtain the corresponding orig.tar from the archive:
+=over 4
+
+=item (A) There is no delta queue.
+
+If there do not exist any Debian patches, use
=over 4
- % git clone salsa.debian.org:Debian/foo
- % cd foo
- % origtargz
+ % git debrebase convert-from-gbp
=back
-If your tree is patches-unapplied, some conversion work is needed.
-You can use
+=item (B) There is a delta queue, and patches are unapplied.
+
+This is the standard git-buildpackage(1) workflow: there are Debian
+patches, but the upstream source is committed to git without those
+patches applied. Use
=over 4
- git debrebase convert-from-gbp
+ % git debrebase convert-from-gbp
=back
-Then make new upstream tags available:
+=item (C) There is a delta queue, and patches are applied.
+
+Use
=over 4
- % git remote add -f upstream https://some.upstream/foo.git
+ % git debrebase convert-from-dgit-view
+
+=back
=back
-Now you simply need to ensure that your git HEAD is dgit-compatible,
+Finally, you need to ensure that your git HEAD is dgit-compatible,
i.e., it is exactly what you would get if you deleted .git, invoked
B<dpkg-buildpackage -S>, and then unpacked the resultant source
package.
I<debian/source/local-options>. One way to have dgit check your
progress is to run B<dgit build-source>.
-The first dgit push will require I<--overwrite>.
-
=head1 GIT CONFIGURATION
-git-debrebase does not yet support using B<git merge> to merge
+git-debrebase(1) does not yet support using B<git merge> to merge
divergent branches of development (see "OTHER MERGES" in
git-debrebase(5)). You should configure git such that B<git pull>
does not try to merge:
=over 4
- % git debrebase new-upstream-v0 1.2.3
+ % git debrebase new-upstream 1.2.3
=back
Note that each time you conclude a debrebase you introduce a
pseudomerge into your git history, which may make it harder to read.
Try to do all of the editing of the delta queue that you think will be
-needed for this upload in a single debrebase, so that there is a
-single debrebase stitch.
+needed for this editing session in a single debrebase, so that there
+is a single debrebase stitch.
=head1 BUILDING AND UPLOADING
You can use dpkg-buildpackage(1) for test builds. When you are ready
-to build for an upload, use B<dgit sbuild>.
+to build for an upload, use B<dgit sbuild>, B<dgit pbuilder> or B<dgit
+cowbuilder>.
Upload with B<dgit push> or B<dgit push-source>. Remember to pass
I<--new> if the package is new in the target suite.
=head1 HANDLING DFSG-NON-FREE MATERIAL
-This covers only DFSG-non-free material. Material which is legally
-dangerous (for example, files which are actually illegal) cannot be
-handled this way.
+=head2 Illegal material
+
+Here we explain how to handle material that is merely DFSG-non-free.
+Material which is legally dangerous (for example, files which are
+actually illegal) cannot be handled this way.
If you encounter possibly-legally-dangerous material in the upstream
source code you should seek advice. It is often best not to make a
email your archive administrators. For Debian that is
To: dgit-owner@debian.org, ftpmaster@ftp-master.debian.org
-=head2 When upstream tags releases in git
+=head2 DFSG-non-free: When upstream tags releases in git
+
+Our approach is to maintain a DFSG-clean upstream branch, and create
+tags on this branch for each release that we want to import. We then
+import those tags per "Importing the release", above.
-We create a DFSG-clean tag to import to master:
+For the first upstream release that requires DFSG filtering:
=over 4
- % git checkout -b pre-dfsg 1.2.3
+ % git checkout -b upstream-dfsg 1.2.3
% git rm evil.bin
% git commit -m "upstream version 1.2.3 DFSG-cleaned"
% git tag -s 1.2.3+dfsg
% git checkout master
- % git branch -D pre-dfsg
+ % # proceed with "Importing the release" on 1.2.3+dfsg tag
=back
-=head2 When upstream releases only tarballs
+And for subsequent releases (whether or not they require filtering):
+
+=over 4
+
+ % git checkout upstream-dfsg
+ % git merge 1.2.4
+ % git rm further-evil.bin # if needed
+ % git commit -m "upstream version 1.2.4 DFSG-cleaned" # if needed
+ % git tag -s 1.2.4+dfsg
+ % git checkout master
+ % # proceed with "Importing the release" on 1.2.4+dfsg tag
+
+=back
+
+Our upstream-dfsg branch cannot be pushed to B<dgit-repos>, but since
+we will need it whenever we import a new upstream version, we must
+push it somewhere. Assuming that you have already set up an origin
+remote per the above,
+
+=over 4
+
+ % git push --follow-tags -u origin master upstream-dfsg
+
+=back
+
+=head2 DFSG-non-free: When upstream releases only tarballs
The easiest way to handle this is to add a B<Files-Excluded> field to
I<debian/copyright>, and a B<uversionmangle> setting in
divergent branches of development, you have a number of options. Here
we describe the two simplest.
+Note that you should not try to resolve the divergent branches by
+editing files in I<debian/patches>. Changes there would either cause
+trouble, or be overwritten by git-debrebase(1).
+
=head2 Rebasing your work onto the NMU
=over 4
probably want to debrebase before your next upload to tidy those up.
For example, the NMUer might have used git-revert(1) to unapply one of
-your patches. A debrebase will strip both the patch and the reversion
-from the delta queue.
+your patches. A debrebase can be used to strip both the patch and the
+reversion from the delta queue.
=head2 Manually applying the debdiff
Above we noted that each time you conclude a debrebase, you introduce
a pseudomerge into your git history, which may make it harder to read.
-A convention you can use to minimise the number of pseudomerges is to
-debrebase only right before you upload.
+A simple convention you can use to minimise the number of pseudomerges
+is to B<git debrebase conclude> only right before you upload or push
+to B<salsa.debian.org>.
-Before that point, instead of editing the existing delta queue, you
-append fixup commits (and reversions of commits) that alter the
-upstream source to the required state. You can freely push and pull
-from B<salsa.debian.org> during this. Just before uploading, you
-debrebase, once, to tidy everything up.
+It is possible, though much less convenient, to reduce the number of
+pseudomerges yet further. We debrebase only (i) when importing a new
+release, and (ii) right before uploading. Instead of editing the
+existing delta queue, you append fixup commits (and reversions of
+commits) that alter the upstream source to the required state. You
+can push and pull to and from B<salsa.debian.org> during this. Just
+before uploading, you debrebase, once, to tidy everything up.
+
+=head2 The debian/patches directory
+
+In this workflow, I<debian/patches> is purely an output of
+git-debrebase(1). You should not make changes there. They will
+either cause trouble, or be ignored and overwritten by
+git-debrebase(1).
+
+I<debian/patches> will often be out-of-date because git-debrebase(1)
+will only regenerate it when it needs to. So you should not rely on
+the information in that directory. When preparing patches to forward
+upstream, you should use git-format-patch(1) on git commits, rather
+than sending files from I<debian/patches>.
=head2 Upstream branches
-Except in the case where upstream releases only tarballs, we do not
-maintain a separate 'upstream' branch (unless you also happen to be
-involved in upstream development). We work with upstream tags rather
-than any branches, except temporary branches used to prepare patches
-for forwarding upstream, for example.
+In this workflow, we specify upstream tags rather than any branches.
+
+Except when (i) upstream releases only tarballs, (ii) we require DFSG
+filtering, or (iii) you also happen to be involved in upstream
+development, we do not maintain any local branch corresponding to
+upstream, except temporary branches used to prepare patches for
+forwarding, and the like.
+
+The idea here is that from Debian's point of view, upstream releases
+are immutable points in history. We want to make sure that we are
+basing our Debian package on a properly identified upstream version,
+rather than some arbitrary commit on some branch. Tags are more
+useful for this.
-The thought behind this is that branches are things to which one
-expects to commit, while tags are immutable points in history. From
-the Debian point of the view, the upstream source is immutable. It's
-our packaging to which we expect to commit.
+Upstream's branches remain available as the git remote tracking
+branches for your upstream remote, e.g. I<remotes/upstream/master>.
=head2 The first ever dgit push
origin commit would represent the most recent non-dgit upload of the
package, but this should already be represented in your git history.)
+=head2 Inspecting the history
+
+The git history made by git-debrebase can seem complicated.
+Here are some suggestions for helpful invocations of gitk and git.
+They can be adapted for other tools like tig(1), git-log(1), magit, etc.
+
+History of package in Debian, disregarding history from upstream:
+
+=over
+
+ % gitk --first-parent
+
+In a laundered branch, the delta queue is at the top.
+
+=back
+
+History of the packaging, excluding the delta queue:
+
+ % gitk :/debian :!/debian/patches
+
+Just the delta queue (i.e. Debian's changes to upstream):
+
+ % gitk --first-parent -- :/ :!/debian
+
+Full history including old versions of the delta queue:
+
+=over
+
+ % gitk --date-order
+
+The "Declare fast forward" commits you see have an older history
+(usually, an older delta queue) as one parent,
+and a newer history as the other.
+--date-order makes gitk show the delta queues in the right order.
+
+=back
+
+Complete diff since the last upload:
+
+=over
+
+ % git diff dgit/dgit/sid..HEAD -- :/ :!/debian/patches
+
+This includes changes to upstream files.
+
+=back
+
+Interdiff of delta queue since last upload, if you really want it:
+
+ % git debrebase make-patches
+ % git diff dgit/dgit/sid..HEAD -- debian/patches
+
+And of course there is:
+
+ % git debrebase status
+
=head2 Alternative ways to start a debrebase
Above we started an interactive debrebase by invoking git-debrebase(1)
=over 4
- % git debrebase launder
+ % git debrebase
% git rebase -i HEAD~5 # there are 4 Debian patches
=back
If you take this approach, you should be very careful not to start the
-rebase too early.
+rebase too early,
+including before the most recent pseudomerge.
+git-rebase without a base argument will often
+start the rebase too early,
+and should be avoided.
+Run git-debrebase instead.
+See also "ILLEGAL OPERATIONS" in git-debrebase(5).
=head1 SEE ALSO
-dgit(1), dgit(7)
+dgit(1), dgit(7), git-debrebase(1), git-debrebase(5)
=head1 AUTHOR
~ianmdlvl / dgit.git / blobdiff