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I am new to Linux and I'm learning about packaging in Ubuntu.

I wish to run synapse with recoll plguin (lp:~pmarchwiak/synapse-project/recoll-plugin).

Now,

  1. How can I build a package from the development branch to install locally on my system ?

  2. How can I modify source files that I receive from running apt-get source synapse (with synapse being the package in this context) and repackage them into a deb file? (not sure about license violations in this case though).

I have a launchpad account and I have the ssh key uploaded. I am able to download the branch files from the branch.

./configure runs fine in the synapse (package) folder. make or debuild -uc -us returns errors that several vala (a build dependency) files have been deprecated since its release .16.

I fell it can be done with bzr and debuild both. I'd appreciate it if someone would help me with both the ways of building a package, i.e. directly from the branch and and locally.

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2 Answers 2

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I've not tried myself the following commands, but they should work with none or minimal modification.

  1. How can I build a package from the development branch to install locally on my system ?

    • Download branch

$ bzr branch lp:~pmarchwiak/synapse-project/recoll-plugin

  • Install dependencies

$ sudo apt-get install devscripts equivs dh-autoreconf bzr-builddeb libcrypt-ssleay-perl

$ cd recoll-plugin && sudo mk-build-deps -i

  • Build package

$ bzr bd --native -- -b -uc -us

  • Install package

$ sudo dpkg -i ../build-area/*.deb

  1. How can I modify source files that I receive from running apt-get source synapse and repackage them into a deb file? (not sure about license violations in this case though).

    • Get source

$ apt-get source synapse

  • Edit it

$ cd synapse && $EDITOR files

  • Install dependencies

$ sudo apt-get install devscripts equivs dh-autoreconf libcrypt-ssleay-perl

$ cd synapse && sudo mk-build-deps -i

  • Build package

$ debuild -b -us -uc

  • Install package

$ sudo dpkg -i ../*.deb

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  • I have yet to learn about formatting in this forum. Please bear with me. In method 1, on running mk-build-deps in recoll-plugin directory, terminal returns the following errors cp: target `scripts/Synapse/Local/answer1/recoll-plugin/equivs.xBnte1' is not a directory Error on copy of the template files: exit status 1 Use of uninitialized value $deb_files[0] in system at /usr/bin/mk-build-deps line 311. dpkg: error processing (--unpack): cannot access archive: No such file or directory Errors were encountered while processing: dpkg call failed.
    – Jai
    Nov 20, 2014 at 9:36
  • I've got some errors that are specific to synapse and the version of vala compiler required to build a synapse package. However, both the methods you mentioned should work in case of other packages, once "sudo mk-build-deps -i" runs successfully, which I'm afraid, is not the case with me.
    – Jai
    Nov 20, 2014 at 9:57
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Depends on what you're trying to achieve. If you need a package to conveniently uninstall later, then checkinstall would be a good choice:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CheckInstall

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  • I ran "apt-get build-dep synapse" to install build dependencies and it installed "libsoup-gnome2.4-dev, libvala-0.14-0 and valac-0.14" (notice the .14 version of libvala and valac) The version of synapse that I'm trying to build only supports Vala 0.12. I removed valac-0.14 and libvala-0.14 and entered "sudo apt-get libvala-0.12-0 valac-0.12" in terminal. It returned that they are the latest version already. On further running checkinstall, I get multiple errors like "desktop-file-service.vala:217.7-217.16: warning: implicit .begin is deprecated" and chekcinstall fails.
    – Jai
    Nov 20, 2014 at 8:41
  • I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. If you have another question, please open a new question. If this is related please explain in another way. Are valac and libvalac built-time deps or runtime deps?
    – Jan
    Nov 20, 2014 at 8:43
  • As I mentioned, I am trying to build a package locally on my system with the files from the source. vala compiler is a build-time dependency for the same. On running checkinstall as you had directed me to, I am getting errors like the one I mentioned for different services. I understand that by running checkinstall, once build dependencies are satisfied with the correct versions, it should be able to build a package. The errors that I am getting are perhaps specific to synapse. Thank you for answering the question !
    – Jai
    Nov 20, 2014 at 8:57

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