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Marco Ceppi
Asked: 2010-08-14 16:54:25 +0800 CST

How can I start my own Repository

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I'm an avid developer but I never actually gotten around to setting up my own PPA - how would someone go about this? Common issues encountered? How do I get my source code to be compiled into packages on the PPA?

launchpad package-management development ppa

3 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Register on Launchpad like txwikinger said, then you need to generate a GPG key

    gpg --gen-key

    and upload it to Ubuntu's keyserver

    gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --publish-keys $KEYID

    Replacing $KEYID with the number after the slash on the "sec" line of:

    gpg -K --fingerprint

    Click the green + next to the GPG key part of your profile, and give it the key fingerprint from the earlier command. You'll receive an encrypted email. Decrypt it (setup your GPG key in your mail client to make this easier), then click the link inside to verify that you own the key.

    Click on your launchpad.net page to create a new PPA

    Follow the packaging guides Source Lab linked, but unlike what Txwikinger said, you will not upload a deb. That's because a deb is a binary package, and PPAs take source packages. After you've got the 4 necessary files (/debian/rules /debian/changelog /debian/control and /debian/copyright) in your source directory and an original tarball of the source outside it, run

    debuild -S -sa

    A source package will be generated consisting of a .debian.tar.gz (if using source format 3.0) or .diff.tar.gz along with a .dsc and a .changes file. The .dsc and .changes will need to be signed, so you will need to enter your GPG passphrase twice. The -sa is only needed the first time you upload that package to the PPA. Later revisions, you can live it off.

    Then you will run:

    dput ppa:youruser/ppa *.changes

    Obviously filling in your own username, and if you chose a custom name for the PPA, put that after the slash. The PPA's page on Launchpad will tell you the exact ppa: syntax.

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  2. There are some tools to help you upload you source tarballs + debian control-files to your PPA on launchpad. And this will tell you how. But uploading the package is a very small part of it all...

    Setting up a build environment and a debian package (.deb) infrastructure in not a simple thing! It requires a good understanding of the package structure and how different types of scripts work (in particular Make and Shell scripts).

    I have found these two guides to be very usefull when i'we been packing .deb's
    Ubuntu packaging guide
    Debian new maintainers guide

    Be careful to read all of the Ubuntu packaging guide thoroughly and you should be on your way to victory!

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  3. You register for an account in https://launchpad.net on your home page you can start your own ppa. The ppa is hosted on launchpad.

    You compile your sources by creating a .deb package and upload it to your ppa with the dput command. The package will then automatically compiled by launchpad's compile farm and is available on a number of platforms.

    More information about packaging can be found in the wiki about packaging.

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