I would like to announce the initial public release of stdeb, which may be found at http://stdeb.python-hosting.com/ . The rest of this email is copied directly from that web-page.

stdeb - Python to Debian source package conversion utility ==========================================================

stdeb_ ("setuptools debian") produces Debian source packages from Python packages via a new distutils command, ``sdist_dsc``, which produces a Debian source package of a Python package. Automatic defaults are provided for the Debian package, but many aspects of the resulting package can be customized via a configuration file.

.. _stdeb: http://stdeb.python-hosting.com/

News ----

2006-06-19: Version 0.1 Released. See the `download page`_.

Invocation ----------

All methods eventually result in a call to the ``sdist_dsc`` distutils command. You may prefer to do so directly::

python -c "import stdeb; execfile('setup.py')" sdist_dsc

Alternatively, two scripts are provided::

stdeb_run_setup [options] # calls "python setup.py sdist_dsc [options]"

py2dsc [options] mypackage-0.1.tar.gz # uses pre-built Python source package

In all cases, a Debian source package is produced from unmodified Python packages. The following files are produced:

* ``packagename_versionname.orig.tar.gz`` * ``packagename_versionname-debianversion.dsc`` * ``packagename_versionname-debianversion.diff.gz``

These can then be compiled into binary packages using the standard Debian machinery (e.g. dpkg-buildpackage).

Download --------

Files are available at the `download page`_.

.. _download page: http://stdeb.python-hosting.com/wiki/Download

The subversion repository is available at https://svn.stdeb.python-hosting.com/trunk

Background ----------

For the average Python package, its source distribution (python_package.tar.gz created with ``python setup.py sdist``) contains nearly everything necessary to make a Debian source package. This near-equivalence encouraged me to write this little distutils extension, which executes the setup.py file to extract relevant information. This process is made significantly easier through the use of setuptools_.

.. _setuptools: http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/setuptools

setuptools is used because of the opportunities it provides, although many of these features are currently un(der)-utilized. For example, setuptools could make the job of "Debianizing" python console and gui scripts much easier.

I wrote this initially to Debianize several Python packages of my own, but I have the feeling it could be generally useful. It appears similar, at least in theory, to easydeb_ and `Logilab's Devtools`_.

.. _easydeb: http://easy-deb.sourceforge.net/ .. _Logilab's DevTools: http://www.logilab.org/projects/devtools

Prerequisites -------------

* Python_ 2.3 or greater * setuptools_ * subprocess.py_ (included with Python 2.4, backwards compatible with Python 2.3)

.. _Python: http://www.python.org/ .. _subprocess.py: http://svn.python.org/view/python/trunk/Lib/subprocess.py?rev=46651&view...

Customizing the produced Debian source package ----------------------------------------------

stdeb will attempt to provide reasonable defaults, but these are only guesses.

To customize the Debian source package produced, you may write config files of the format understood by ConfigParser_. When building each package, stdeb looks for the existance of a ``stdeb.cfg`` file in the ``.egg-info`` directory. You may specify an additional config file with the command-line option --extra-cfg-file.

.. _ConfigParser: http://docs.python.org/lib/module-ConfigParser.html

Here's an example .cfg file which builds several packages::

[DEFAULT] Debian-Version: 0ads1

[setuptools] Source: python-setuptools

[numpy] Source: python-numpy Upstream-Version-Prefix: 0.9.8+ Build-Depends: python-dev, refblas3-dev, lapack3-dev Build-Conflicts: atlas3-base, atlas3-base-dev

[matplotlib] # matplotlib doesn't incorporate its SVN version number into sdist-built tarballs. # Therefore, if building the SVN version, substitute the version into the # "Upstream-Version-Suffix" variable and use py2dsc. # (For some reason, "debuild -sa" won't build matplotlib because tk.h isn't found.) Source: python-matplotlib Upstream-Version-Suffix: .dev2500 Build-Depends: python-dev, python-numpy, python-numarray, python-numeric, python-gtk2-dev, tk8.4-dev, libwxgtk2.4-dev Depends: python-gtk2, python-numpy, python-numeric, python-numarray Suggests: gs-gpl

[scipy] Source: python-scipy Upstream-Version-Prefix: 0.4.9+ Build-Depends: python-numpy Depends: python-numpy

.. _numpy: http://scipy.org/NumPy

Using stdeb on stdeb --------------------

There is a chicken-and-egg problem when trying to make a Debian package of stdeb with stdeb. Here's a recipe to avoid it::

# in the stdeb distribution directory (with setup.py) python setup.py sdist python setup.py build PYTHONPATH="build/lib" python stdeb/py2dsc.py dist/stdeb-VERSION.tar.gz

TODO ----

* Make output meet `Debian Python Policy`_ specifications or the `new python policy`_. This will include several things, including:

- the ability to make custom changelogs - the ability to patch upstream source - the ability to include project-supplied documentation (including license information) as a -doc package - the ability to include project-supplied examples, tests, and data as a separate package - much more not listed

* Support python-central_ and/or python-support.

* Create (better) documentation

* Log output using standard distutils mechanisms

* Allow distribution-specific configuration parameters (e.g. numpy-dapper)

.. _debian python policy: http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-manuals/python-policy/ .. _new python policy: http://wiki.debian.org/DebianPython/NewPolicy .. _python-central: http://python-modules.alioth.debian.org/python-central_howto.txt

Call for volunteers -------------------

I don't have a lot of time for this. This project stands a very real chance of being only a shadow of its potential self unless people step up and contribute. There are numerous ways in which people could help. In particular, I'd be interested in finding a co-maintainer or maintainer if the project generates any interest. Secondarily, I would appreciate advice from Debian developers or Ubuntu MOTUs about the arcane details of Python packaging.

License -------

MIT-style license. Copyright (c) 2006 stdeb authors.

See the LICENSE.txt file provided with the source distribution for full details.

Authors -------

Andrew Straw, California Institute of Technology strawman@astraw.com