X-Git-Url: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/ucgi/~ianmdlvl/git?p=dgit.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=dgit-maint-merge.7.pod;h=dc5bfa34043dd1dac121f416b3d2bc3ce444c0ad;hp=240673aebd86af8b90deb01fb847dd92521b17ae;hb=3ec15f5373c474cf3e0e55b876a565a09f81c793;hpb=b803e131e26528e3c022bf0a2cf0860d25b8f75f

diff --git a/dgit-maint-merge.7.pod b/dgit-maint-merge.7.pod
index 240673ae..dc5bfa34 100644
--- a/dgit-maint-merge.7.pod
+++ b/dgit-maint-merge.7.pod
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ compress orig tarballs:
 
 =head1 INITIAL DEBIANISATION
 
+This section explains how to start using this workflow with a new
+package.  It should be skipped when converting an existing package to
+this workflow.
+
 =head2 When upstream tags releases in git
 
 Suppose that the latest stable upstream release is 1.2.2, and this has
@@ -172,6 +176,50 @@ branches:
 
 =back
 
+=head1 CONVERTING AN EXISTING PACKAGE
+
+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
+
+=over 4
+
+    % dgit clone foo
+    % cd foo
+    % git remote add -f upstream https://some.upstream/foo.git
+
+=back
+
+=head2 Existing git history using another workflow
+
+First, dump any existing patch queue:
+
+=over 4
+
+    % git rm -rf debian/patches
+    % git commit -m "drop existing quilt patch queue"
+
+=back
+
+Then make new upstream tags available:
+
+=over 4
+
+    % git remote add -f upstream https://some.upstream/foo.git
+
+=back
+
+Now you simply need to ensure that your git HEAD is dgit-compatible,
+i.e., it is exactly what you would get if you ran B<dpkg-buildpackage
+-i\.git/ -I.git -S> and then unpacked the resultant source package.
+
+To achieve this, you might need to delete
+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 SOURCE PACKAGE CONFIGURATION
 
 =head2 debian/source/options
@@ -275,7 +323,10 @@ Again, if you are using the version 1.0 source package format, replace
 
 =head2 When upstream releases only tarballs
 
-Either
+You will need the I<debian/gbp.conf> from "When upstream releases only
+tarballs", above.
+
+Then, either
 
 =over 4