Repo

This project contains a personal Debian package repository that could be served on GitHub Page. It also contains guides on how to build a Debian package, create repository, and use the repository.

Using This Repository

• Add the public key of this repository to the local system.

  $ curl -s https://threeal.github.io/repo/threeal.asc | sudo apt-key add -
  

• Add this repository to the source list.

  $ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://threeal.github.io/repo $(lsb_release -sc) main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/threeal.list'
  

• Update the package list in repositories.

  $ sudo apt update
  

Creating a Debian Package

Structuring the Package

• Create a directory using name that follow standard Debian notation for package name. usually it is all lowercase with the following format <PROJECT>_<MAJOR-VER>.<MINOR-VER>-<PKG-REVISION>_<ARCHITECTURE>. (example: libsomething_1.0-1_amd64)
• Pretend the directory you just created to be the root of the system file.
• Put files that will be installed correspond to their install path. (example: put file that will be installed on /usr/lib/libsomething.so to libsomething_1.0-1_amd64/usr/lib/libsomething.so)
• Create a DEBIAN directory inside the project directory. This directory will be used to put metadata and configuration files of the package.
• The configuration files are optional, but the metadata file is a must.

  For more information about the configuration files, please refer here.

• Create DEBIAN/control for the metadata file. The metadata file atleast must contains information like the following example:

  Package: libsomething
  Version: 1.0-1
  Section: base
  Priority: optional
  Architecture: i386
  Depends: somepackage (>= 1.0.0), someotherpackage (>= 1.2.5)
  Maintainer: Your Name <your@email.com>
  Description: short description
   very long
   description
  

  For more information about the metadata files, please refer here

• Watch for the file permission (read, write, and execute permission). Make sure executable files in the package already have an execute permission.
• After the package already structured, continue to build the package as a Debian package.

Building the Package

• Build the directory as a Debian package:

  $ dpkg-deb --build <package_directory>
  

  If the dpkg-deb has not been installed, install it using $ sudo apt install dpkg.

Creating a Debian Package Repository

Structuring the Repository

• The repository consists of 2 main directory, dists that contains package lists and pool that contains the package files.
  • The dists directory should be structured using the following format dists/<OS-RELEASE>/main/binary-<ARCHITECTURE>/. (example: dists/bionic/main/binary-amd64)
  • The pool directory should be structured using the following format pool/main/<PACKAGE>/<PACKAGE-DEB>. (example: pool/main/libsomething/libsomething_1.0-1_amd64.deb)
• Create a Distributions metadata file under dists/<OS-RELEASE>. The metadata file atleast must contains information like the following example:

  Origin: threeal.github.io/repo
  Label: threeal bionic
  Suite: bionic
  Codename: bionic
  Architectures: amd64 i386
  Components: main
  Description: Threeal's Bionic Debian repository
  
  

  Note: End the metadata file with an empty line, as it will be appended with the package list to create Release file.

Making the Repository to be Signed

• Create a new gpg key for this repository.

  $ gpg --gen-key
  

  Note: Make sure to export the key so it could be used later by other user to update the repository. To export the key, use the following command $ gpg --export-secret-keys <NAME> > <PATH-TO>/<KEYNAME>.key

• Export the public key for the repository and put it to the project root.

  $ gpg --armor --export <NAME> > <KEYNAME>.asc
  

Adding a New Package to the Repository

• Put all new release of Debian packages inside their corresponding package in pool directory. (example: put libsomething_1.0-1_amd64.deb inside pool/main/libsomething)
• Remove older version of the Debian package release, if there is any. (example: with libsomething_1.0-1_amd64.deb, remove libsomething_0.9-3_amd64.deb)

  Note: for alternative, you can run the update.sh script to apply the new package to the repository after put the Debian package file.

• Update the package list for each architecture under dists/<OS-RELEASE>/main directory.

  $ apt-ftparchive --arch <ARCHITECTURE> packages pool > <PATH-TO>/binary-<ARCHITECTURE>/Packages
  

  If the apt-ftparchive has not been installed, install it using $ sudo apt install apt-utils.

• Also update the gzip version of the package list for every new package list.

  $ gzip -kf <PATH-TO>/Packages
  

• Update the release files for each os release under dists/<OS-RELEASE> directory.

  $ cd dists/<OS-RELEASE>
  $ cat Distributions > Release
  $ apt-ftparchive release . >> Release
  $ gpg --clearsign -o InRelease Release
  $ gpg -abs -o Release.gpg Release
  

Serving the Repository on GitHub Page

• Clone this project to your GitHub repository as repo.
• On the repository settings, under the GitHub Page, Set the Source to be the branch that will be served on the GitHub Page.
• The repository later could be accessed under <USER>.github.io/repo.

Using The Repository

Adding the Public Key

• Public key is used to sign this repository, so it could be accepted by the Debian packaging system in the client computer.
• Add the public key of the repository to the local system.

  $ curl -s <ADDRESS-TO>/repo/<KEYNAME>.asc | sudo apt-key add -
  

Adding the Repository to the Source List

• Add the repository to the source list.

  $ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [arch=<ARCHITECTURE>] <ADDRESS-TO>/repo $(lsb_release -sc) main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/<REPOSITORY-NAME>.list'
  

• Update the package list in repositories.

  $ sudo apt update