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merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. See the GNU
General Public License for more details.
<p>
-A copy of the GNU General Public License is available as
-<file>/usr/doc/copyright/GPL</file> in the Debian GNU/Linux
-distribution or on the World Wide Web at <url
-id="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html" name="the GNU website">.
-You can also obtain it by writing to the &fsf-addr;.
+A copy of the GNU General Public License is available as &file-GPL; in
+the Debian GNU/Linux distribution or on the World Wide Web at <url
+id="&url-gpl;" name="the GNU website">. You can also obtain it by
+writing to the &fsf-addr;.
<toc detail="sect2">
become a Debian developer so that your work can be incorporated into
the Project?
<p>
-Firstly, subscribe to <email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email> if
-you haven't already. Send the word <tt>subscribe</tt> in the
-<em>Subject</em> of an email to
-<email>debian-devel-REQUEST@lists.debian.org</email>. In case of
-problems, contact the list administrator at
-<email>listmaster@lists.debian.org</email>. More information on
-available mailing lists can be found in <ref id="mailing-lists">.
+Firstly, subscribe to &email-debian-devel; if you haven't already.
+Send the word <tt>subscribe</tt> in the <em>Subject</em> of an email
+to &email-debian-devel-req;. In case of problems, contact the list
+administrator at &email-listmaster;. More information on available
+mailing lists can be found in <ref id="mailing-lists">.
<p>
-You should subscribe and lurk for a bit before doing any coding, and
-you should post about your intentions to work on something to avoid
-duplicated effort.
+You should subscribe and lurk (that is, read without posting) for a
+bit before doing any coding, and you should post about your intentions
+to work on something to avoid duplicated effort.
<p>
-Another good list to subscribe to is
-<email>debian-mentors@lists.debian.org</email>. See <ref
+Another good list to subscribe to is &email-debian-mentors;. See <ref
id="mentors"> for details. The IRC channel <tt>#debian</tt> on the
-Linux People IRC network (i.e., <tt>irc.debian.org</tt>) can also be
+Linux People IRC network (e.g., <tt>irc.debian.org</tt>) can also be
helpful.
letting them upload packages.
<p>
Registration requires that the following information be sent to
-<email>new-maintainer@debian.org</email> as part of the registration
-application:
+&email-new-maintainer; as part of the registration application:
<list>
<item>
Your name.
<item>
Your preferred login name on <tt>master</tt> (eight characters or
less), as well as the email address at which you'd prefer to be
-subscribed to <email>debian-private@lists.debian.org</email>
-(typically this will be either your primary mail address or your new
-<tt>debian.org</tt> address).
+subscribed to &email-debian-private; (typically this will be either
+your primary mail address or your new <tt>debian.org</tt> address).
<item>
A phone number where we can call you. Remember that the new
maintainer team usually calls during evening hours to save on long
contribute to Debian.
<item>
A statement that you have read and agree to uphold the <url
-id="http://www.debian.org/social_contract" name="Debian Social
-Contract">.
+id="&url-social-contract;" name="Debian Social Contract">.
<item>
Some mechanism by which we can verify your real-life identity. For
example, any of the following mechanisms would suffice:
<list>
<item>
-A PGP key signed by any well-known signature, such as:
+An RSA key signed by any well-known signature, such as:
<list>
<item>
Any current Debian developer you have met <em>in real life</em>.
</list>
</list>
<p>
-If you do not have a PGP key yet, generate one. Every developer needs
-a PGP key in order to sign and verify package uploads. You should read
+If you do not have an RSA key yet, generate one. Every developer needs
+a RSA key in order to sign and verify package uploads. You should read
the PGP manual, since it has much important information which is
critical to its security. Many more security failures are due to
human error than to software failure or high-powered spy techniques.
+See <ref id="key-maint"> for more information on maintianing your
+public key.
<p>
-Our standard is to use <prgn>pgp</prgn> version 2.x. You can use
-<prgn>pgp</prgn> version 5, if and only if you make an RSA key. Note
-that we are also working with the <prgn>gpg</prgn> team so that we can
-have a free alternative to PGP; however, this may take a little bit of
-time.
+Debian uses <prgn>pgp</prgn> version 2.6 as its baseline standard.
+You can use <prgn>gpg</prgn> or some other version of <prgn>pgp</prgn>
+if and only if you can create an RSA key compatible with
+<prgn>pgp</prgn> version 2.6. Note that we are also working on the
+ability to use non-RSA keys, since RSA algorithms have patent
+protection, but this is still in early stages.
<p>
-Your PGP key must be at least 1024 bits long. There is no reason to
+Your RSA key must be at least 1024 bits long. There is no reason to
use a smaller key, and doing so would be much less secure. Your key
must be signed with at least your own user ID. This prevents user ID
tampering. You can do it by executing <tt>pgp -ks
<var>your_userid</var></tt>.
<p>
-If your PGP key isn't on public key servers such as
-&pgp-keyserv;, please read the documentation available
-locally <tt>/usr/doc/pgp/keyserv.doc</tt>. That document contains
-instructions on how to put your key on the public key servers. The
-New Maintainer Group will put your public key on the servers if it
-isn't already there.
+Also remember that one of the names on your key must match the email
+address you list as the official maintainer for your packages. For
+instance, I set the maintainer of the
+<package>developers-reference</package> package to ``Adam Di Carlo
+<aph@debian.org>''; therefore, one of the user IDs on my RSA key
+is that same value, ``Adam Di Carlo <aph@debian.org>''.
+ <p>
+If your RSA key isn't on public key servers such as &pgp-keyserv;,
+please read the documentation available locally in &file-keyservs;.
+That document contains instructions on how to put your key on the
+public key servers. The New Maintainer Group will put your public key
+on the servers if it isn't already there.
<p>
Due to export restrictions by the United States government some Debian
-packages, including PGP, have been moved to an ftp site outside of the
-United States. You can find the current locations of those packages on
-<ftpsite>ftp.debian.org</ftpsite> or
-<ftpsite>ftp.us.debian.org</ftpsite> in the
-<ftppath>/pub/debian/README.non-US</ftppath> file.
+packages, including <package>pgp</package>, have been moved to an ftp
+site outside of the United States. You can find the current locations
+of those packages at <url id="&url-readme-non-us;">.
<p>
Some countries restrict the use of cryptographic software by their
citizens. This need not impede one's activities as a Debian package
<p>
Once you have all your information ready, and your public key is
available on public key servers, send a message to
-<email>new-maintainer@debian.org</email> to register as an offical
-Debian developer so that you will be able to upload your packages.
-This message must contain all the information discussed above. The
-message must also contain your PGP or RSA public key (extracted using
-<tt>pgp -kxa</tt> in the case of PGP) for the database of keys which
-is distributed from <ftpsite>ftp.debian.org</ftpsite> in
-<ftppath>/pub/debian/doc/debian-keyring.tar.gz</ftppath>, or the
-<package>debian-keyring</package> package. Please be sure to sign
-your request message with your chosen public key.
+&email-new-maintainer; to register as an offical Debian developer so
+that you will be able to upload your packages. This message must
+contain all the information discussed above. The message must also
+contain your RSA public key (extracted using <tt>pgp -kxa</tt> in the
+case of PGP) for the database of keys which is distributed from <url
+id="url-debian-keyring;">, or the <package>debian-keyring</package>
+package. Please be sure to sign your request message with your chosen
+public key.
<p>
Once this information is received and processed, you should be
contacted with information about your new Debian maintainer account.
<sect id="mentors">Debian Mentors
<p>
-A mailing list called <email>debian-mentors@lists.debian.org</email>
-which has been set up for novice maintainers who seek help with
-initial packaging and other developer-related issues. Every new
-developer is invited to subscribe to that list (see <ref
-id="mailing-lists"> for details).
+The mailing list &email-debian-mentors; has been set up for novice
+maintainers who seek help with initial packaging and other
+developer-related issues. Every new developer is invited to subscribe
+to that list (see <ref id="mailing-lists"> for details).
<p>
Those who prefer one-on-one help (e.g., via private email) should also
post to that list and an experienced developer will volunteer to help.
<sect id="key-maint">Maintaining Your Public Key
<p>
Be very careful with your private keys. Do not place them on any
-public servers. Back them up. Read the documentation that comes with
-your software (either PGP or GNUPG); read the FAQs too, for good
-measure.
+public servers or multiuser machines, such as
+<tt>master.debian.org</tt>. Back your keys up; keep a copy offline.
+Read the documentation that comes with your software (either PGP or
+GNUPG); read the <url id="&url-pgp-faq;" name="PGP FAQ">.
<p>
If you add or remove signatures from your public key, or add or remove
user identities, you need to update the key servers and mail your
-public key to <email>keyring-maint@debian.org</email>. The same key
-extraction routines discussed in <ref id="registering"> apply.
+public key to &email-debian-keyring;. The same key extraction
+routines discussed in <ref id="registering"> apply.
<p>
You can find a more in-depth discussion of Debian key maintenance in
the documentation for the <package>debian-keyring</package> package.
+
<sect>Retiring Gracefully
<p>
If you choose to leave the Debian project, you should make sure you do
Orphan all your packages, as described in <ref id="orphaning">.
<item>
Send an email about how you are leaving the project to
-<email>debian-private@lists.debian.org</email>.
+&email-debian-private;.
<item>
-Notify the Debian key ring maintainers that you are leaving by emailing
-to <email>keyring-maint@debian.org</email>.
+Notify the Debian key ring maintainers that you are leaving by
+emailing to &email-debian-keyring;.
</enumlist>
<sect id="mailing-lists">Mailing lists
<p>
-The mailing list server is at <tt>lists.debian.org</tt>. Mail
-<tt>debian-<var>foo</var>-REQUEST@lists.debian.org</tt>, where
+The mailing list server is at <tt>&lists-host;</tt>. Mail
+<tt>debian-<var>foo</var>-REQUEST@&lists-host;</tt>, where
<tt>debian-<var>foo</var></tt> is the name of the list, with the word
<tt>subscribe</tt> in the <em>Subject</em> to subscribe to the list or
<tt>unsubscribe</tt> to unsubscribe. More detailed instructions on
how to subscribe and unsubscribe to the mailing lists can be found at
<url id="&url-debian-lists-subscribe;">, <url id="&url-debian-lists;">
-or locally in <file>/usr/doc/debian/mailing-lists.txt</file> if you
-
have the <package>doc-debian</package> package installed.
+or locally in &file-mail-lists; if you have the
+<package>doc-debian</package> package installed.
<p>
When replying to messages on the mailing list, please do not send a
carbon copy (<tt>CC</tt>) to the original poster unless they explicitly
request to be copied. Anyone who posts to a mailing list should read
it to see the responses.
<p>
-In addition, all messages should usually only be sent to one of the
-following mailing lists: <email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email>,
-<email>debian-policy@lists.debian.org</email>,
-<email>debian-user@lists.debian.org</email>,
-<email>debian-announce@lists.debian.org</email>, or
-<email>debian-devel-announce@lists.debian.org</email>. Additional
-mailing lists are available for special purposes; see <url
-id="&url-debian-lists-subscribe;">. Cross-posting
+The following are the core Debian mailing lists: &email-debian-devel;,
+&email-debian-policy;, &email-debian-user;, &email-debian-private;,
+&email-debian-announce;, and &email-debian-devel-announce;. All
+developers are expected to be subscribed to at least
+&email-debian-private and &email-debian-devel-announce;. There are
+other mailing lists are available for a variety of special topics; see
+<url id="&url-debian-lists-subscribe;"> for a list. Cross-posting
(sending the same message to multiple lists) is discouraged.
<p>
-<email>debian-private@lists.debian.org</email> is a special mailing
-lists for private discussions amongst Debian developers. It is meant
-to be used for posts which for whatever reason should not be published
-publically. As such, it is a low volume list, and users are urged not
-to use <email>debian-private@lists.debian.org</email> unless it is
-really necessary. Moreover, do <em>not</em> forward email from that
-list to anyone.
+&email-debian-private; is a special mailing lists for private
+discussions amongst Debian developers. It is meant to be used for
+posts which for whatever reason should not be published publically.
+As such, it is a low volume list, and users are urged not to use
+&email-debian-private; unless it is really necessary. Moreover, do
+<em>not</em> forward email from that list to anyone.
<p>
As ever on the net, please trim down the quoting of articles you're
replying to. In general, please adhere to the usual conventions for
Online archives of mailing lists are available at <url
id="&url-debian-list-archives;">.
+
<sect id="server-machines">Debian servers
<p>
Debian servers are well known servers which serve critical functions
<tt>master.debian.org</tt> is the canonical location for the Bug
Tracking System (BTS). If you plan on doing some statistical analysis
or processing of Debian bugs, this would be the place to do it.
-Please describe your plans on
-<email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email> before implementing
+Please describe your plans on &email-debian-devel; before implementing
anything, however, to reduce unnecessary duplication of effort or
wasted processing time.
<p>
-All Debian developers have accounts on <tt>master.debian.org</tt>. Please
-take care to protect your password to this machine. Try to avoid
-login or upload methods which send passwords over the Internet in the
-clear.
+All Debian developers have accounts on <tt>master.debian.org</tt>.
+Please take care to protect your password to this machine. Try to
+avoid login or upload methods which send passwords over the Internet
+in the clear.
<p>
-If you find a problem with <tt>master.debian.org</tt> such as disk full,
-suspicious activity, or whatever, send an email to
-<email>debian-admin@debian.org</email>. Problems with the Debian FTP
-archive generally need to be reported as bugs against the
+If you find a problem with <tt>master.debian.org</tt> such as disk
+full, suspicious activity, or whatever, send an email to
+&email-debian-admin;. Problems with the Debian FTP archive generally
+need to be reported as bugs against the
<package>ftp.debian.org</package> pseudo-package or an email to
-<email>ftpmaster@debian.org</email>, but also see the procedures in
-<ref id="archive-manip">.
+&email-ftpmaster;, but also see the procedures in <ref
+id="archive-manip">.
<sect1 id="servers-www">The WWW servers
<p>
<tt>www.debian.org</tt> address, although in some cases you may need
to put it on <tt>master</tt>. Please do not put any material on
Debian servers not relating to Debian, unless you have prior
-permission. Send mail to <email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email>
-if you have any questions.
+permission. Send mail to &email-debian-devel; if you have any
+questions.
<p>
If you find a problem with the Debian web server, you should generally
submit a bug against the pseudo-package,
Generally, <tt>cvs.debian.org</tt> offers a combination of local CVS
access, anonymous client-server read-only access, and full
client-server access through <prgn>ssh</prgn>. Also, the CVS area can
-be accessed read-only via the Web at <url
-id="http://cvs.debian.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb">.
+be accessed read-only via the Web at <url id="&url-cvsweb;">.
<p>
To request a CVS area, send a request via email to
-<email>debian-admin@debian.org</email>. Include the name of the
-requested CVS area, what <tt>va.debian.org</tt> user account should
-own the CVSROOT, and why you need it.
+&email-debian-admin;. Include the name of the requested CVS area,
+what <tt>va.debian.org</tt> user account should own the CVS root area,
+and why you need it.
<sect1 id="servers-mirrors">Mirrors of Debian servers
up-to-date as they can be.
<p>
The main web page listing the available public FTP (and, usually,
-HTTP) servers can be found at <url
-id="&url-debian-mirrors">. More information
-concerning Debian mirrors can be found at <url
-id="&url-debian-mirroring">. This useful page includes
-information and tools which can be helpful if you are interested in
-setting up your own mirror, either for internal or public access.
+HTTP) servers can be found at <url id="&url-debian-mirrors;">. More
+information concerning Debian mirrors can be found at <url
+id="&url-debian-mirroring;">. This useful page includes information
+and tools which can be helpful if you are interested in setting up
+your own mirror, either for internal or public access.
<p>
Note that mirrors are generally run by third-parties who are
interested in helping Debian. As such, developers generally do not
approval of the local maintainers. Usually these machines are run by
volunteers. Generally, these machines are for porting activities.
<p>
-Aside from the servers mentioned in <ref id="server-machines">, the
-following machines are, or may be made, available to you. If an email
-address is listed, generally that person is the party to contact about
-issues on the machine. Otherwise, the machine is probably managed by
-<email>debian-admin@debian.org</email>.
-
-<taglist>
- <tag><tt>faure.debian.org</tt></tag>
- <item>
-An Alpha; if you have an account on <tt>master</tt>, you probably
-already have an account here.
-
- <tag><tt>kubrick.debian.org</tt></tag>
- <item>
-A SPARC; if you have an account on <tt>master</tt>, you probably
-already have an account here.
-
- <tag><tt>pandora.debian.org</tt></tag>
- <item>
-An i386; if you have an account on <tt>master</tt>, you probably
-already have an account here.
-
- <tag><tt>albert.debian.org</tt></tag>
- <item>
-An Alpha; you probably want to use <tt>faure</tt> instead, but you may
-request an account from <email>debian-admin@debian.org</email>.
-
- <tag><tt>powerpc.debian.org</tt></tag>
- <item>
-A PowerPC; also known as <tt>tervola.infodrom.north.de</tt>. You may
-request an account from <email>joey@debian.org</email> or
-<email>koptein@debian.org</email>.
-
- <tag><tt>m68k.debian.org</tt></tag>
- <item>
-A Motorola 6800x0 machine; you may request an account from
-<email>joey@debian.org</email> or <email>james@nocrew.org</email>.
-Runs an autobuilder.
-
- <tag><tt>alpha.debian.nl</tt></tag>
- <item>
-An Alpha; you may request an account from
-<email>debian@cistron.nl</email>.
-
- <tag><tt>xia0[123].kachinatech.com</tt></tag>
- <item>
-SPARC and UltraSPARC machines. <tt>xia0[12]</tt> are used for
-automatic compilation; you can request an account on xia03 (an
-UltraSPARC) from <email>wdeng@kachinatech.com</email>.
-
- </taglist>
+Aside from the servers mentioned in <ref id="server-machines">, there
+is a list of machines available to Debian developers at <url
+id="&url-devel-machines;">.
680x0 (like Atari, Amiga and Macintoshes), MIPS, and PowerPC. The
Linux 2.2 kernel supports even more architectures, including ARM and
UltraSPARC. Since Linux supports these platforms, Debian decided that
-it should, too. Therefore, Debian has ports underway. In fact, we
+it should, too. Therefore, Debian has ports underway; in fact, we
also have ports underway to non-Linux kernel. Aside from
<em>i386</em> (our name for Intel x86), there is <em>m68k</em>,
<em>alpha</em>, <em>powerpc</em>, <em>sparc</em>, <em>hurd-i386</em>,
and <em>arm</em>, as of this writing.
-
<p>
Debian GNU/Linux 1.3 is only available as <em>i386</em>. Debian 2.0
shipped for <em>i386</em> and <em>m68k</em> architectures. Debian 2.1
ships for the <em>i386</em>, <em>m68k</em>, <em>alpha</em>, and
-<em>sparc</em> architectures.
+<em>sparc</em> architectures. Debian 2.2 adds support for the
+<em>powerpc</em> architecture.
+ <p>
+Information for developers or uses about the specific ports are
+available at the <url id="&url-debian-ports;" name="Debian Ports web
+pages">.
<sect>Subsections
changes made by the Debian maintainer.
<p>
The <tt>.dsc</tt> lists all the files in the source package together
-with checksums (md5sums) and some additional info about the package
-(maintainer, version, etc.).
+with checksums (<prgn>md5sums</prgn>) and some additional info about
+the package (maintainer, version, etc.).
<sect>Distribution directories
<sect>Announcing new packages
<p>
If you want to create a new package for the Debian distribution, you
-should first check the <url
-id="http://www.debian.org/doc/prospective-packages.html"
-name="Work-Needing and Prospective Packages (WNPP)"> list. Checking
-the WNPP ensures that no one is already working on packaging that
-software, and that effort is not duplicated. Assuming no one else is
-already working on your prospective package, you must then send a
-short email to <email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email> describing
-your plan to create a new package. You should set the subject of the
-email to ``intent to package <var>foobar</var>'', substituting the
-name of the new package for <var>foobar</var>.
+should first check the <url id="&url-wnpp;" name="Work-Needing and
+Prospective Packages (WNPP)"> list. Checking the WNPP ensures that no
+one is already working on packaging that software, and that effort is
+not duplicated. Assuming no one else is already working on your
+prospective package, you must then send a short email to
+&email-debian-devel; describing your plan to create a new package.
+You should set the subject of the email to ``intent to package
+<var>foo</var>'', substituting the name of the new package for
+<var>foo</var>.
<p>
There are a number of reasons why we ask maintainers to follow these
steps:
<item>
It lets other people thinking about working on the package know that
there already is a volunteer, and efforts may be shared. The ``intent
-to package'' message to <email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email>
-will be picked up the the WNPP maintainer, and your intention will be
-published in subsequent versions of the WNPP document.
+to package'' message to &email-debian-devel@; will be picked up the
+the WNPP maintainer, and your intention will be published in
+subsequent versions of the WNPP document.
<item>
It lets the rest of the maintainers know more about the package than
the one line description and the changelog entry ``Initial version''
<p>
The changes file is a control file with the following fields:
<p>
-<list compact>
- <item><tt>Format</tt>
- <item><tt>Date</tt>
- <item><tt>Source</tt>
- <item><tt>Binary</tt>
- <item><tt>Architecture</tt>
- <item><tt>Version</tt>
- <item><tt>Distribution</tt>
- <item><tt>Urgency</tt>
- <item><tt>Maintainer</tt>
- <item><tt>Description</tt>
- <item><tt>Changes</tt>
- <item><tt>Files</tt>
- </list>
+&control-file-fields;
<p>
All of these fields are mandatory for a Debian upload. See the list
-of control fields in the <url
-id="http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/packaging.html/"
-name="Debian Packaging Manual"> for the contents of these fields.
-Only the <tt>Distribution</tt> field is discussed here, since it
-relates to the archive maintenance policies.
+of control fields in the <url id="&url-pkg-manual;" name="Debian
+Packaging Manual"> for the contents of these fields. Only the
+<tt>Distribution</tt> field is discussed here, since it relates to the
+archive maintenance policies.
+
<sect1 id="upload-dist">Picking a distribution
<p>
By default <prgn>dpkg-genchanges</prgn> and
<prgn>dpkg-buildpackage</prgn> will include the original source tar
file if and only if the Debian revision part of the source version
-number is <tt>0</tt> or <tt>1</tt>, indicating a new upstream version.
-This behaviour may be modified by using <tt>-sa</tt> to always include
-it or <tt>-sd</tt> to always leave it out.
+number is 0 or 1, indicating a new upstream version. This behaviour
+may be modified by using <tt>-sa</tt> to always include it or
+<tt>-sd</tt> to always leave it out.
<p>
If no original source is included in the upload then the original
source tar-file used by <prgn>dpkg-source</prgn> when constructing the
To upload a package, you need a personal account on
<ftpsite>master.debian.org</ftpsite>. All maintainers should already
have this account, see <ref id="servers-master">. You can use either
-<prgn>s
sh</prgn> or <prgn>ftp</prgn> to transfer the files. In either
+<prgn>s
cp</prgn> or <prgn>ftp</prgn> to transfer the files. In either
case, the files need to be placed into
-<ftppath>/home/Debian/ftp/private/project/Incoming</ftppath>. (You
-cannot upload to Incoming on master using anonymous FTP -- you must
-use your user-name and password.)
+<ftppath>&master-upload-dir</ftppath>. (You cannot upload to Incoming
+on master using anonymous FTP -- you must use your user-name and
+password.)
<p>
<em>Note:</em> Do not upload packages containing software that is
export-controlled by the United States government to <tt>master</tt>,
-or to the overseas upload queues on <tt>chiark</tt> or
+nor to the overseas upload queues on <tt>chiark</tt> or
<tt>erlangen</tt>. This prohibition covers almost all cryptographic
software, and even sometimes software that contains ``hooks'' to
cryptographic software, such as electronic mail readers that support
PGP encryption and authentication. Uploads of such software should go
-to <tt>non-us</tt> (see below). If you are not sure whether
-U.S. export controls apply to your package, post a message to
-<email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email> and ask.
+to <tt>non-us</tt> (see <ref id="upload-non-us">). If you are not
+sure whether U.S. export controls apply to your package, post a
+message to &email-debian-devel; and ask.
<p>
You may also find the Debian package <package>dupload</package> useful
when uploading packages. This handy program is distributed with
<manref name="dupload" section="5"> for more information.
+ <sect1 id="upload-non-us">Uploading to <tt>pandora</tt> (non-us)
+ <p>
+As discussed above, export controlled software should not be uploaded
+to <tt>master</tt>. Instead, use non-anonymous FTP or
+<prgn>scp</prgn> to copy the package to
+<ftpsite>pandora.debian.org</ftpsite>, placing the files in
+<ftppath>&non-us-upload-dir</ftppath>. By default, you can use your
+same account which works on <tt>master</tt>.
+ <p>
+The program <prgn>dupload</prgn> comes with support for uploading to
+<tt>pandora</tt>; please refer to the documentation that comes with
+the program for details.
+
<sect1>Uploads via <tt>chiark</tt>
<p>
If you have a slow network connection to <tt>master</tt>, there are
alternatives. One is to upload files to <tt>Incoming</tt> via a
upload queue in Europe on <tt>chiark</tt>. For details connect to
-<ftpsite>ftp.chiark.greenend.org.uk</ftpsite> using anonymous FTP and
-read
-<ftppath>/pub/debian/private/project/README.how-to-upload</ftppath>.
+<url id="&url-chiark-readme;">.
<p>
<em>Note:</em> Do not upload packages containing software that is
export-controlled by the United States government to the queue on
<tt>chiark</tt>. Since this upload queue goes to <tt>master</tt>, the
prescription found in <ref id="upload-master"> applies here as well.
<p>
-The program <tt>dupload</tt> supports uploads to <tt>chiark</tt>; please refer
-to the documentation that comes with the program for details.
+The program <prgn>dupload</prgn> comes with support for uploading to
+<tt>chiark</tt>; please refer to the documentation that comes with the
+program for details.
<sect1>Uploads via <tt>erlangen</tt>
<p>
Another upload queue is available in Germany: just upload the files
-via anonymous FTP to <url
-id="ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/Linux/debian/UploadQueue">.
+via anonymous FTP to <url id="&url-upload-erlangen;">.
<p>
The upload must be a complete Debian upload, as you would put it into
<tt>master</tt>'s <tt>Incoming</tt>, i.e., a <tt>.changes</tt> files
<tt>erlangen</tt>. Since this upload queue goes to <tt>master</tt>, the
prescription found in <ref id="upload-master"> applies here as well.
<p>
-The program <prgn>dupload</prgn> supports uploads to
+The program <prgn>dupload</prgn> comes with support for uploading to
<tt>erlangen</tt>; please refer to the documentation that comes with
the program for details.
- <sect1>Uploading to the non-us server
+ <sect1>Other Upload Queues
+ <p>
+Another upload queue is available which is based in the US, and is a
+good backup when there are problems reaching <tt>master</tt>. You can
+upload files, just as in <tt>erlangen</tt>, to <url
+id="&url-upload-samosa;">.
<p>
-To upload a package to the <em>non-us</em> server you just have to
-transfer the files via anonymous ftp to <url
-id="ftp://non-us.debian.org/pub/debian-non-US/Incoming">. Note, that
-the <tt>.changes</tt> file must have a valid PGP signature from one of
-the keys of the developers key-ring.
+An upload queue is available in Japan: just upload the files via
+anonymous FTP to <url id="&url-upload-jp;">.
+
<sect id="upload-announce">Announcing package uploads
may be added before the start of the <tt>.changes</tt> file.
<p>
If a package is released with the <tt>Distribution:</tt> set to
-`stable', the announcement is sent to
-<email>debian-changes@lists.debian.org</email>. If a package is
-released with <tt>Distribution:</tt> set to `unstable',
+`stable', the announcement is sent to &email-debian-changes;. If a
+package is released with <tt>Distribution:</tt> set to `unstable',
`experimental', or `frozen' (when present), the announcement should be
-posted to <email>debian-devel-changes@lists.debian.org</email>
-instead.
+posted to &email-debian-devel-changes; instead.
<p>
On occasion, it is necessary to upload a package to both the
<em>stable</em> and <em>unstable</em> distributions; this is done by
priorities for packages in the <em>override file</em>. Sometimes the
<em>override file</em> needs correcting. Simply changing the
package's <file>control</file> file is not going to work. Instead,
-you should email <email>override-change@debian.org</email> or submit a
-
bug against <package>ftp.debian.org</package>.
+you should email &email-override; or submit a bug against
+<package>ftp.debian.org</package>.
<p>
For more information about <em>override files</em>, see <manref
-name="dpkg-scanpackages" section="8">,
-<file>/usr/doc/debian/bug-log-mailserver.txt</file>, and
-<file>/usr/doc/debian/bug-maint-info.txt</file>.
+name="dpkg-scanpackages" section="8">, &file-bts-mailing;, and
+&file-bts-info;.
not need to touch any of the files in the source package. This
includes <file>debian/changelog</file>.
<p>
+Sometimes you need to recompile a packages against other packages
+which have been updated, such as libraries. You do have to bump the
+version number in this case, so that the upgrade system can function
+properly. Even so, these are considered binary-only NMUs -- there is
+no need in this case for all architectures to recompile. You should
+set the version number as in the case of NMU versioning, but add a
+``.0.'' before the the NMU version. For instance, a recompile-only
+NMU of the source package ``foo_1.3-1'' would be numbered
+``foo_1.3-1.0.1''.
+ <p>
The way to invoke <prgn>dpkg-buildpackage</prgn> is as
<tt>dpkg-buildpackage -B -m<var>porter-email</var></tt>. Of course,
set <var>porter-email</var> to your email address. This will do a
most porting efforts are either using it currently or planning to use
it in the near future. It collects a number of as yet unpackaged
components which are currently very useful and in use continually,
-such as <prgn>sbuild</prgn> and <prgn>wanna-build</prgn>.
+such as <prgn>andrea</prgn>, <prgn>sbuild</prgn> and
+<prgn>wanna-build</prgn>.
+ <p>
+Some of the data produced by <package>buildd</package> which is
+generally useful to porters is available on the web at <url
+id="&url-buildd;">. This data includes nightly updated information
+from <prgn>andrea</prgn> (source dependencies) and
+<package>quinn-diff</package> (packages needing recompilation).
<p>
We are very excited about this system, since it potentially has so
many uses. Independent development groups can use the system for
<sect>Moving packages
<p>
-Sometimes a package will change either its section or its subsection.
-For instance, a package from the `non-free' section might be GPL'd in
-a later version; in this case you should consider moving it to `main'
-or `contrib' (see the <url
-id="http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/" name="Debian Policy
-Manual"> for guidelines).
- <p>
-In this case, it is sufficient to edit the package control information
-normally and re-upload the package (see the <url
-id="http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/packaging.html/"
+Sometimes a package will change either its section. For instance, a
+package from the `non-free' section might be GPL'd in a later version,
+in which case, the package should be moved to `main' or
+`contrib'.<footnote> See the <url id="&url-debian-policy;"
+name="Debian Policy Manual"> for guidelines on what section a package
+belongs in.
+ </footnote>
+ <p>
+If you need to change the section for one of your packages, change the
+package control information to place the package in the desired
+section, and re-upload the package (see the <url id="&url-pkg-manual;"
name="Debian Packaging Manual"> for details). Carefully examine the
installation log sent to you when the package is installed into the
archive. If for some reason the old location of the package remains,
file a bug against <tt>ftp.debian.org</tt> asking that the old
location be removed. Give details on what you did, since it might be
a <prgn>dinstall</prgn> bug.
+ <p>
+If, on the other hand, you need to change the <em>subsection</em> of
+one of your packages (e.g., ``devel'', ``admin''), the procedure is
+slightly different. Correct the subsection as found in the control
+file of the package, and reupload that. Also, you'll need to update
+the override file, as described in <ref id="override-file">.
- <sect>Removing packages
+ <sect id="removing-pkgs">Removing packages
<p>
If for some reason you want to completely remove a package (say, if it
is an old compatibility library which is not longer required), you
package should be removed from.
<p>
If in doubt concerning whether a package is disposable, email
-<email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email> asking for opinions.
-Also of interest is the <prgn>apt-cache</prgn> program from the
-<package>apt</package> package. When invoked as <tt>apt-cache showpkg
-/var/cache/apt/pkgcache.bin <var>package</var></tt>, the program will
-show details for <var>package</var>, including reverse depends.
+&email-debian-devel; asking for opinions. Also of interest is the
+<prgn>apt-cache</prgn> program from the <package>apt</package>
+package. When invoked as <tt>apt-cache showpkg
+<var>package</var></tt>, the program will show details for
+<var>package</var>, including reverse depends.
<sect1>Removing packages from <tt>Incoming</tt>
<p>
If you decide to remove a package from <tt>Incoming</tt>, it is nice
but not required to send a notification of that to the appropriate
-announce list (either <email>debian-changes@lists.debian.org</email>
-or <email>debian-devel-changes@lists.debian.org</email>).
+announce list (either &email-debian-changes; or
+&email-debian-devel-changes;).
<sect>Replacing or renaming packages
<p>
Sometimes you made a mistake naming the package and you need to rename
it. In this case, you need to follow a two-step process. First, set
your <file>debian/control</file> file to replace and conflict with the
-obsolete name of the package (see the <url
-id="http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/packaging.html/"
+obsolete name of the package (see the <url id="&url-pkg-manual;"
name="Debian Packaging Manual"> for details). Once you've uploaded
that package, and the package has moved into the archive, file a bug
against <tt>ftp.debian.org</tt> asking to remove the package with the
<p>
If you can no longer maintain a package, then you should set the
package maintainer to <tt>Debian QA Group
-<debian-qa@lists.debian.org></tt> and email
-<email>wnpp@debian.org</email> indicating that the package is now
-orphaned. If the package is especially crucial to Debian, you should
-instead email <email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email> asking for
-a new maintainer.
+<debian-qa@lists.debian.org></tt> and email &email-wnpp;
+indicating that the package is now orphaned. If the package is
+especially crucial to Debian, you should instead email
+&email-debian-devel; asking for a new maintainer.
<sect id="adopting">Adopting a package
<p>
Periodically, a listing of packages in need of new maintainers will be
-sent to <email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email> list. This list
-is also available at in the Work-Needing and Prospective Packages
-document (WNPP), <url
-id="ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/doc/package-developer/prospective-packages.html">
-and at <url id="http://www.debian.org/doc/prospective-packages.html">.
-If you wish to take over maintenance of any of the packages listed in
-the WNPP, or if you can no longer maintain a packages you have, or you
-simply want to know if any one is working on a new package, send a
-message to <email>wnpp@debian.org</email>.
+sent to &email-debian-devel list. This list is also available at in
+the Work-Needing and Prospective Packages document (WNPP), <url
+id="&url-wnpp;">. If you wish to take over maintenance of any of the
+packages listed in the WNPP, or if you can no longer maintain a
+packages you have, or you simply want to know if any one is working on
+a new package, send a message to &email-wnpp;.
<p>
It is not OK to simply take over a package that you feel is neglected
-- that would be package hijacking. You can, of course, contact the
However, without their assent, you may not take over the package.
Even if they ignore you, that is still not grounds to take over a
package. If you really feel that a maintainer has gone AWOL (absent
-without leave), post a query to
-<email>debian-private@lists.debian.org</email>.
+without leave), post a query to &email-debian-private;.
<p>
If you take over an old package, you probably want to be listed as the
package's official maintainer in the bug system. This will happen
automatically once you upload a new version with an updated
<tt>Maintainer:</tt> field, although it can take a couple of weeks. If
you do not expect to upload a new version for a while, send an email
-to <email>override-change@debian.org</email> so that bug reports will
-go to you right away.
+to &email-override; so that bug reports will go to you right away.
<sect>Monitoring bugs
<p>
If you want to be a good maintainer, you should periodically check the
-<url id="http://www.debian.org/Bugs/" name="Debian bug tracking system
-(BTS)"> for your packages. The BTS contains all the open bugs against
-your packages.
+<url id="&url-bts;" name="Debian bug tracking system (BTS)"> for your
+packages. The BTS contains all the open bugs against your packages.
<p>
Maintainers interact with the BTS via email addresses at
<tt>bugs.debian.org</tt>. Documentation on available commands can be
<p>
Often as a package maintainer, you find bugs in other packages or else
have bugs reported to your packages which need to be reassigned. The
-BTS <url id="http://www.debian.org/Bugs/server-control.html"
-name="instructions"> can tell you how to do this.
+<url id="&url-bts-control;" name="BTS instructions"> can tell you how
+to do this.
<p>
We encourage you to file bugs when there are problems. Try to submit
the bug from a normal user account at which you are likely to receive
<sect>Responding to Bugs
<p>
Make sure that any discussions you have about bugs are sent both to
-the original submitter of the bug, and the bug itself (i.e.,
+the original submitter of the bug, and the bug itself (e.g.,
<email>123@bugs.debian.org</email>).
<p>
You should <em>never</em> close bugs via the bug server `close'
-command sent to <email>control@bugs.debian.org</email>. If you do so,
-the original submitter will not receive any feedback on why the bug
-was closed.
+command sent to &email-bts-control;. If you do so, the original
+submitter will not receive any feedback on why the bug was closed.
<sect>When bugs are closed by new uploads
<p>
<p>
You should periodically get the new <package>lintian</package> from
`unstable' and check over all your packages. Alternatively you can
-check for your maintainer email address at the <url
-id="http://www.debian.org/lintian/" name="online lintian report">.
-That report, which is updated automatically, contains
-<prgn>lintian</prgn> reports against the latest version of the
-distribution (usually from 'unstable') using the latest
-<package>lintian</package>.
+check for your maintainer email address at the <url id="&url-lintian;"
+name="online lintian report">. That report, which is updated
+automatically, contains <prgn>lintian</prgn> reports against the
+latest version of the distribution (usually from 'unstable') using the
+latest <package>lintian</package>.
<sect>Reporting lots of bugs at once
is emitted.
<p>
If you report more than 10 bugs on the same topic at once, it is
-recommended that you send a message to
-<email>debian-devel@lists.debian.org</email> describing your intention
-before submitting the report. This will allow other developers to
-verify that the bug is a real problem. In addition, it will help
-prevent a situation in which several maintainers start filing the same
-bug report simultaneously.
+recommended that you send a message to &email-debian-devel; describing
+your intention before submitting the report. This will allow other
+developers to verify that the bug is a real problem. In addition, it
+will help prevent a situation in which several maintainers start
+filing the same bug report simultaneously.
<p>
Note that when sending lots of bugs on the same subject, you should
send the bug report to <email>maintonly@bugs.debian.org</email> so
different philosophy. It uses a <file>debian/packages</file> file to
auto-generate other necessary files in the <file>debian/</file>
subdirectory.
+ <p>
+Note that <package>yada</package> is still quite new and possibly not
+yet as robust as other systems.
+
+
+ <sect id="equivs">
+ <heading><package>equivs</package>
+ <p>
+<package>equivs</package> is another package for making packages. It
+is often suggested for local use if you need to make a package simply
+to fulfill dependancies. It is also sometimes used when making
+``meta-packages'', which are packages whose only purpose is to depend
+on other packages.
<sect id="cvs-buildpackage">
You can use it to download source packages, for instance.
+
</book>
</debiandoc>
~ianmdlvl / developers-reference.git / commitdiff