3 dgit - tutorial for package maintainers, using a workflow centered around git-merge(1)
7 This document describes elements of a workflow for maintaining a
8 non-native Debian package using B<dgit>. The workflow makes the
9 following opinionated assumptions:
15 Git histories should be the non-linear histories produced by
16 git-merge(1), preserving all information about divergent development
17 that was later brought together.
19 If you prefer linear histories, see dgit-maint-gbp(7)
20 for a workflow based on git-buildpackage, or roll your own.
24 Maintaining convenient and powerful git workflows takes priority over
25 the usefulness of the raw Debian source package. The Debian archive
26 is thought of as an output format.
28 For example, we don't spend time curating a series of quilt patches.
29 However, the information such a series would contain is readily
30 available from B<dgit-repos>.
34 It is more important to have the Debian package's git history be a
35 descendent of upstream's git history than to use exactly the orig.tar
36 that upstream makes available for download.
40 =head1 GIT CONFIGURATION
42 Add the following to your ~/.gitconfig to teach git-archive(1) how to
43 compress orig tarballs:
54 =head1 INITIAL DEBIANISATION
56 =head2 When upstream tags releases in git
58 Suppose that the latest stable upstream release is 1.2.2, and this has
59 been tagged '1.2.2' by upstream.
63 % git clone -oupstream https://some.upstream/foo.git
65 % git verify-tag 1.2.2
66 % git reset --hard 1.2.2
67 % git branch --unset-upstream
71 The final command detachs your master branch from the upstream remote,
72 so that git doesn't try to push anything there, or merge unreleased
73 upstream commits. If you want to maintain a copy of your packaging
74 branch on B<alioth.debian.org> in addition to B<dgit-repos>, you can
75 do something like this:
79 % git remote add -f origin git.debian.org:/git/collab-maint/foo.git
80 % git push --follow-tags -u origin master
84 Now go ahead and Debianise your package. Just make commits on the
85 master branch, adding things in the I<debian/> directory. If you need
86 to patch the upstream source, just make commits that change files
87 outside of the I<debian/> directory. It is best to separate commits
88 that touch I<debian/> from commits that touch upstream source, so that
89 the latter can be cherry-picked by upstream.
91 Note that there is no need to maintain a separate 'upstream' branch,
92 unless you also happen to be involved in upstream development. We
93 work with upstream tags rather than any branches, except when
94 forwarding patches (see FORWARDING PATCHES UPSTREAM, below).
96 Finally, you need an orig tarball. Generate one with git-archive(1):
100 % git archive -o ../foo_1.2.2.orig.tar.xz 1.2.2
104 If you are using the version 1.0 source package format, replace 'xz'
107 This tarball is ephemeral and easily regenerated, so we don't commit
108 it anywhere (e.g. with tools like pristine-tar(1)).
110 =head3 Verifying upstream's tarball releases
114 It can be a good idea to compare upstream's released tarballs with the
115 release tags, at least for the first upload of the package. If they
116 are different, you might need to add some additional steps to your
117 I<debian/rules>, such as running autotools.
119 A convenient way to perform this check is to import the tarball as
120 described in the following section, using a different value for
121 'upstream-tag', and then use git-diff(1) to compare the imported
122 tarball to the release tag. If they are the same, you can use
123 upstream's tarball instead of running git-archive(1).
127 =head2 When upstream releases only tarballs
129 We need a virtual upstream branch with virtual release tags.
130 gbp-import-orig(1) can manage this for us. To begin
140 Now create I<debian/gbp.conf>:
145 upstream-branch = upstream
146 debian-branch = master
147 upstream-tag = %(version)s
151 pristine-tar-commit = False
155 Then we can import the upstream version:
159 % git add debian/gbp.conf && git commit -m "create gbp.conf"
160 % gbp import-orig ../foo_1.2.2.orig.tar.xz
164 You are now ready to proceed as above, making commits to both the
165 upstream source and the I<debian/> directory.
167 If you want to maintain a copy of your repository on
168 B<alioth.debian.org>, you should push both the origin and the upstream
173 % git remote add -f origin git.debian.org:/git/collab-maint/foo.git
174 % git push --follow-tags -u origin master upstream
178 =head1 SOURCE PACKAGE CONFIGURATION
180 =head2 debian/source/options
182 We set some source package options such that dgit can transparently
183 handle the "dropping" and "refreshing" of changes to the upstream
193 You don't need to create this file if you are using the version 1.0
194 source package format.
196 =head2 Sample text for README.source
198 It is a good idea to explain how a user can obtain a break down of the
199 changes to the upstream source:
203 The Debian packaging of foo is maintained using dgit. For the sake of
204 an efficient workflow, Debian modifications to the upstream source are
205 squashed into a single diff, rather than a series of quilt patches.
206 To obtain a patch queue for package version 1.2.3-1:
210 # apt-get install dgit
213 % git log --oneline 1.2.3..debian/1.2.3-1 -- . ':!debian'
217 See dgit(1), dgit(7) and dgit-maint-merge(7) for more information.
221 =head1 BUILDING AND UPLOADING
223 Use B<dgit build>, B<dgit sbuild>, B<dgit build-source>, and B<dgit
224 push> as detailed in dgit(1). If any command fails, dgit will provide
225 a carefully-worded error message explaining what you should do. If
226 it's not clear, file a bug against dgit. Remember to pass I<--new>
227 for the first upload.
229 As an alternative to B<dgit build> and friends, you can use a tool
230 like gitpkg(1). This works because like dgit, gitpkg(1) enforces that
231 HEAD has exactly the contents of the source package. gitpkg(1) is
232 highly configurable, and one dgit user reports using it to produce and
233 test multiple source packages, from different branches corresponding
234 to each of the current Debian suites.
236 If you want to skip dgit's checks while iterating on a problem with
237 the package build (for example, you don't want to commit your changes
238 to git), you can just run dpkg-buildpackage(1) or debuild(1) instead.
240 =head1 NEW UPSTREAM RELEASES
242 =head2 When upstream tags releases in git
244 It's a good idea to preview the merge of the new upstream release.
245 First, just check for any new or deleted files that may need
246 accounting for in your copyright file:
251 % git diff --stat master..1.2.3 -- . ':!debian'
255 You can then review the full merge diff:
259 % git merge-tree `git merge-base master 1.2.3` master 1.2.3 | $PAGER
263 Once you're satisfied with what will be merged, update your package:
267 % git archive ../foo_1.2.3.orig.tar.xz 1.2.3
269 % dch -v1.2.3-1 New upstream release.
270 % git add debian/changelog && git commit -m changelog
274 and you are ready to try a build.
276 Again, if you are using the version 1.0 source package format, replace
279 =head2 When upstream releases only tarballs
285 % gbp import-orig ../foo_1.2.2.orig.tar.xz
289 or if you have a working watch file
293 % gbp import-orig --uscan
297 =head1 HANDLING DFSG-NON-FREE MATERIAL
299 =head2 When upstream tags releases in git
301 We create a DFSG-clean tag to merge to master:
305 % git checkout -b pre-dfsg 1.2.3
307 % git commit -m "upstream version 1.2.3 DFSG-cleaned"
308 % git tag -s 1.2.3+dfsg
309 % git checkout master
310 % git branch -D pre-dfsg
314 Before merging the new 1.2.3+dfsg tag to master, you should first
315 determine whether it would be legally dangerous for the non-free
316 material to be publicly accessible in the git history on
319 If it would be dangerous, there is a big problem;
320 in this case please consult your archive administrators
321 (for Debian this is the dgit administrator dgit-owner@debian.org
322 and the ftpmasters ftpmaster@ftp-master.debian.org).
324 =head2 When upstream releases only tarballs
326 The easiest way to handle this is to add a B<Files-Excluded> field to
327 I<debian/copyright>, and a B<uversionmangle> setting in
328 I<debian/watch>. See uscan(1). Alternatively, see the I<--filter>
329 option detailed in gbp-import-orig(1).
331 =head1 FORWARDING PATCHES UPSTREAM
339 Create a new branch based off upstream's master branch.
343 git-cherry-pick(1) commits from your master branch onto your new
348 Push the branch somewhere and ask upstream to merge it, or use
349 git-format-patch(1) or git-request-pull(1).
353 For example (and it is only an example):
357 % # fork foo.git on GitHub
358 % git remote add -f fork git@github.com:spwhitton/foo.git
359 % git checkout -b fix-error upstream/master
360 % git config branch.fix-error.pushRemote fork
361 % git cherry-pick master^2
363 % # submit pull request on GitHub
367 Note that when you merge an upstream release containing your forwarded
368 patches, git and dgit will transparently handle "dropping" the patches
369 that have been forwarded, "retaining" the ones that haven't.
371 =head1 INCORPORATING NMUS
379 Alternatively, you can apply the NMU diff to your repository. The
380 next push will then require I<--overwrite>.
388 This tutorial was written and is maintained by Sean Whitton <spwhitton@spwhitton.name>. It contains contributions from other dgit contributors too - see the dgit copyright file.