Pbuilder and pdebuild to sign deb package automagically

Sep 20, 2013 · 2 minute read · Comments
portugues SL debian

To create a deb package (debian way) it is hard work. After spending some time working on that, you will feel more comfortable but the package building still is a little bit complex. Mainly if you add tests.

A good tool to create a deb package automatically is pbuilder. It creates a chroot jail and it allows to build deb packages for Debian and Ubuntu.

Create chroot jails environment

Debian Sid/Unstable em AMD64

$sudo pbuilder create --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-sid-amd64.tgz \
    --distribution sid

Debian Wheezy (Stable) I386 (ia32)

$sudo pbuilder create --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-stable-i386.tgz \
    --distribution stable --architecture i386

If you are using Debian and you want to build a deb package to Ubuntu. It can be done adding the Ubuntu repository public key in apt keyring before pbuilder use. Bellow is an example with Ubuntu Raring Ringtail (13.04).

$sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 3B4FE6ACC0B21F32

$sudo pbuilder create --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-raring-amd64.tgz \
    --distribution raring --mirror https://ftp.ubuntu.com/ubuntu \
    --debootstrapopts --keyring=/etc/apt/trusted.gpg

Building packages

pbuilder

#Debian Sid
$sudo pbuilder build --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-sid-amd64.tgz \
    --distribution sid foobar*.dsc

#Debian Stable
$sudo pbuilder build --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-stable-i386.tgz \
    --distribution stable foobar*.dsc

#Ubuntu Raring
$sudo pbuilder build --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-raring-amd64.tgz \
    --distribution raring foobar*.dsc

The files and deb packages built are at ”*/var/cache/pbuilder/result/*”. But it can easly be changed using –buildresult option, take a look at pbuilder manual for more details.

# Sid
$sudo pdebuild --auto-debsign --debsign-k XXXXXXXX --  \
    --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-sid-amd64.tgz --distribution sid \
    foobar*.dsc

# Stable i386
$sudo pdebuild --auto-debsign --debsign-k XXXXXXXX --  \
    --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-stable-i386.tgz \
    --distribution stable --architecture i386 foobar*.dsc

# Ubuntu Raring
$sudo pdebuild --auto-debsign --debsign-k XXXXXXXX --  \
    --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-raring-amd64.tgz \
    --distribution raring  --mirror https://ftp.ubuntu.com/ubuntu \
    foobar*.dsc

Updating chroot environment

If one needs to update these created chroots, it can be done as the examples bellow.

# Debian Sid
$pbuilder update --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-sid-amd64.tgz \
    --distribution sid

# Debian Stable i386
$pbuilder update --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-stable-i386.tgz \
    --distribution stable --architecture i386

# Ubuntu Raring
$pbuilder update --basetgz /var/cache/pbuilder/base-raring-amd64.tgz \
    --distribution raring