This workflow is appropriate for packages where the Debian delta
contains multiple pieces which interact, or which you don't expect to
be able to upstream soon. For packages with simple and/or short-lived
-Debian deltas, use of git-debrebase(1) might introduce unneeded
-complexity -- in particular, you cannot use B<git merge> to
-incorporate changes from other contributors. For such packages,
-consider the workflow described in dgit-maint-merge(7).
+Debian deltas, use of git-debrebase(1) introduces unneeded complexity.
+For such packages, consider the workflow described in
+dgit-maint-merge(7).
=head1 INITIAL DEBIANISATION
=back
-Now go ahead and Debianise your package. Just make commits on the
-master branch, adding things in the I<debian/> directory. If you need
-to patch the upstream source, see "EDITING THE DELTA QUEUE", below.
-Note that there is no need to 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.
+Now go ahead and Debianise your package. Make commits on the master
+branch, adding things in the I<debian/> directory, or patching the
+upstream source. For technical reasons, B<it is essential that your
+first commit introduces the debian/ directory containing at least one
+file, and does nothing else.> In other words, make a commit
+introducing I<debian/> before patching the upstream source.
Finally, you need an orig tarball:
This tarball is ephemeral and easily regenerated, so we don't commit
it anywhere (e.g. with tools like pristine-tar(1)).
-=head3 Verifying upstream's tarball releases
+=head3 Comparing upstream's tarball releases
=over 4
-It can be a good idea to compare upstream's released tarballs with the
-release tags, at least for the first upload of the package. If they
-are different, you might need to add some additional steps to your
-I<debian/rules>, such as running autotools.
+The above assumes that you know how to build the package from git and
+that doing so is straightforward.
-A convenient way to perform this check is to import the tarball as
-described in the following section, using a different value for
-'upstream-tag', and then use git-diff(1) to compare the imported
-tarball to the release tag. If they are the same, you can use
-upstream's tarball instead of running git-deborig(1).
+If, as a user of the upstream source, you usually build from upstream
+tarball releases, rather than upstream git tags, you will sometimes
+find that the git tree doesn't contain everything that is in the
+tarball.
+
+Additional build steps may be needed. For example, you may need your
+I<debian/rules> to run autotools.
+
+You can compare the upstream tarball release, and upstream git tag,
+within git, by importing the tarball into git as described in the
+next section, using a different value for 'upstream-tag', and then
+using git-diff(1) to compare the imported tarball to the release tag.
=back
=head2 When upstream releases only tarballs
-We need a virtual upstream branch with virtual release tags.
-gbp-import-orig(1) can manage this for us. To begin
+Because we want to work in git, we need a virtual upstream branch with
+virtual release tags. gbp-import-orig(1) can manage this for us. To
+begin
=over 4
=back
You are now ready to proceed as above, making commits to the
-I<debian/> directory.
+I<debian/> directory and to the upstream source. As above, for
+technical reasons, B<it is essential that your first commit introduces
+the debian/ directory containing at least one file, and does nothing
+else.> In other words, make a commit introducing I<debian/> before
+patching the upstream source.
=head1 CONVERTING AN EXISTING PACKAGE
=back
-If your tree is patches-unapplied, you will need to make a commit
-corresponding to each of the quilt patches. You can use
+If your tree is patches-unapplied, some conversion work is needed.
+You can use
=over 4
=back
-or manually with gbp-pq(1):
-
-=over 4
-
- % gbp pq import
- % gbp pq switch
- % git merge --ff-only patch-queue/master
- % gbp pq drop
-
-=back
-
Then make new upstream tags available:
=over 4
=back
-=for dgit-test dpkg-source-ignores begin
-
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.
-
-=for dgit-test dpkg-source-ignores end
+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.
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>. If this is the first
-ever dgit push of the package, consider passing
-I<--deliberately-not-fast-forward> instead of I<--overwrite>. This
-avoids introducing a new origin commit into your git history. (This
-origin commit would represent the most recent non-dgit upload of the
-package, but this should already be represented in your git history.)
+The first dgit push will require I<--overwrite>.
+
=head1 GIT CONFIGURATION
-This workflow does not 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:
+git-debrebase 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
Now when you pull work from other Debian contributors, git will rebase
your work on top of theirs.
-If you use this repository for upstream development in addition to
+If you use this clone for upstream development in addition to
Debian packaging work, you may not want to set this global setting.
Instead, see the B<branch.autoSetupRebase> and
B<branch.E<lt>nameE<gt>.rebase> settings in git-config(5).
=head1 IMPORTING NEW UPSTREAM RELEASES
+There are two steps: obtaining git refs that correspond to the new
+release, and importing that release using git-debrebase(1).
+
=head2 Obtaining the release
=head3 When upstream tags releases in git
=over 4
% git debrebase new-upstream-v0 1.2.3
- % dch -v1.2.3-1 New upstream release.
- % git add debian/changelog && git commit -m changelog
=back
-You can now review the merge of the new upstream release:
+This invocation of git-debrebase(1) involves a git rebase. You may
+need to resolve conflicts if the Debian delta queue does not apply
+cleanly to the new upstream source.
+
+If all went well, you can now review the merge of the new upstream
+release:
=over 4
=back
+=head1 EDITING THE DEBIAN PACKAGING
+
+Just make commits on master that change the contents of I<debian/>.
+
=head1 EDITING THE DELTA QUEUE
=head2 Adding new patches
Adding new patches is straightforward: just make commits touching only
files outside of the I<debian/> directory. You can also use tools
-like git-revert(1), git-am(1) and git-cherrypick(1).
+like git-revert(1), git-am(1) and git-cherry-pick(1).
=head2 Editing patches: starting a debrebase
=over 4
- % git debrebase
+ % git debrebase -i
=back
to start an interactive rebase. You can edit, re-order and delete
-commits just as you would during B<git rebase -i>. Alternatively, you
-can perform a non-interactive rebase like this:
-
-=over 4
-
- % git debrebase -- [git-rebase options...]
-
-=back
-
-A third alternative is to have git-debrebase(1) shuffle all the Debian
-changes to the end of your branch, and then manipulate them yourself
-using git-rebase(1). For example,
-
-=over 4
-
- % git debrebase launder
- % 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 earlier than the beginning of the delta queue.
+commits just as you would during B<git rebase -i>.
=head2 Editing patches: finishing a debrebase
=over 4
- % git debrebase launder
- % git debrebase stitch
+ % git debrebase conclude
=back
-Note that each time you stitch 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.
-
-A strategy is to debrebase only right before you upload. 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
-to tidy everything up.
+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.
=head1 BUILDING AND UPLOADING
-Use B<dgit build>, B<dgit sbuild>, B<dgit push> and B<dgit
-push-source> as detailed in dgit(1). If any command fails, dgit will
-provide a carefully-worded error message explaining what you should
-do. If it's not clear, file a bug against dgit. Remember to pass
-I<--new> for the first upload.
+You can use dpkg-buildpackage(1) for test builds. When you are ready
+to build for an upload, use B<dgit sbuild>.
-After dgit pushing, be sure to git push to B<salsa.debian.org>, if
-you're using that.
-
-As an alternative to B<dgit build> and friends, you can use a tool
-like gitpkg(1). This works because like dgit, gitpkg(1) enforces that
-HEAD has exactly the contents of the source package. gitpkg(1) is
-highly configurable, and one dgit user reports using it to produce and
-test multiple source packages, from different branches corresponding
-to each of the current Debian suites.
-
-If you want to skip dgit's checks while iterating on a problem with
-the package build (for example, you don't want to commit your changes
-to git), you can just run dpkg-buildpackage(1) or debuild(1) instead.
+Upload with B<dgit push> or B<dgit push-source>. Remember to pass
+I<--new> if the package is new in the target suite.
-=head2 Laundering the delta queue before uploading
-
-Just before you B<dgit push> or B<dgit push-source>, you might want to
-have git-debrebase(1) shuffle your branch such that the Debian delta
-queue appears at the end:
+Right before uploading, if you did not just already do so, you might
+want to have git-debrebase(1) shuffle your branch such that the Debian
+delta queue appears right at the tip of the branch you will push:
=over 4
- % git debrebase launder
+ % git debrebase
% dgit push-source
=back
Note that this will introduce a new pseudomerge.
+After dgit pushing, be sure to git push to B<salsa.debian.org>, if
+you're using that.
+
=head1 HANDLING DFSG-NON-FREE MATERIAL
This covers only DFSG-non-free material. Material which is legally
commit and debrebase. The next B<dgit push> will require
I<--overwrite>.
+=head1 HINTS AND TIPS
+
+=head2 Minimising pseudomerges
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+=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.
+
+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.
+
+=head2 The first ever dgit push
+
+If this is the first ever dgit push of the package, consider passing
+I<--deliberately-not-fast-forward> instead of I<--overwrite>. This
+avoids introducing a new origin commit into your git history. (This
+origin commit would represent the most recent non-dgit upload of the
+package, but this should already be represented in your git history.)
+
+=head2 Alternative ways to start a debrebase
+
+Above we started an interactive debrebase by invoking git-debrebase(1)
+like this:
+
+=over 4
+
+ % git debrebase -i
+
+=back
+
+It is also possible to perform a non-interactive rebase, like this:
+
+=over 4
+
+ % git debrebase -- [git-rebase options...]
+
+=back
+
+
+A third alternative is to have git-debrebase(1) shuffle all the Debian
+changes to the end of your branch, and then manipulate them yourself
+using git-rebase(1) directly. For example,
+
+=over 4
+
+ % git debrebase launder
+ % 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.
+
=head1 SEE ALSO
dgit(1), dgit(7)
~ianmdlvl / dgit.git / blobdiff