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If I want to make minor changes to the source code of a Debian package, how do I go about downloading, incrementing the package version, building the (modified) source, and installing it on my computer?

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marked as duplicate by chaos, Paranoid Panda, A.B., David Foerster, Eric Carvalho May 19 '15 at 17:26

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.
    
@CiroSantilli六四事件法轮功 This question is not a duplicate of mine. It doesn't touch on modifying and rebuilding the deb package, incrementing the package version etc. It's just about downloading the source. – sashoalm May 17 '15 at 8:16
    
I think it does ask for how to build as well: "get the source code for these applications as well as update them?", "I would like to add features". This one is better phrased of course :-) – Ciro Santilli 华涌低端人口 六四事件 法轮功 May 17 '15 at 8:59
    
@sashoalm: Please read the top answer of that question: “To build a package from source, first […]. Then use dpkg-buildpackage to create a .deb file.” That sounds a lot like instructions to (re-)build Debian packages to me. – David Foerster May 19 '15 at 7:32
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There's basically two ways to do it, the first one is the classic form, you'll get the source with:

Classic

 $ apt-get source package

Then you'll be able to modify it:

 $ cd package
 $ vim some_file

Rebuild it:

$ sudo apt-get build-dep package
$ dch -i (which will open your editor to edit the changefile, here's where you can increment the package version)

$ debuild -us -uc -b

And install it:

$ sudo dpkg -i ../package.deb


New Ubuntu Approach

The new way (the Ubuntu way) is by using bzr branches, you'll get the code by using:

$ bzr branch lp:ubuntu/package #which will download the latest ubuntu package (the precise one)

$ bzr branch lp:ubuntu/oneiric/package #to get the package in oneiric

You can also get the code using:

$ pull-lp-source package #lp-source is part of the ubuntu-dev-tools pkg

pull-lp-source used to be called just lp-source in older versions.

Then you'll be able to edit it:

$ cd package 
$ vim some_file

Rebuild it:

$ dch -i 
$ debcommit
$ bzr bd -- -b -us -uc

And install it:

$ sudo dpkg -i ../package.deb

I recommend that you check the Ubuntu packaging guide out to know the details.

Also you might enconter problems if the package depends of others

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Using apt-get source openjdk-7 took around 2 minutes for me, while using bzr branch took over an hour and I decided to kill the process. I'm wondering what would be the usefulness of this "new approach". – Andrea Lazzarotto Oct 7 '14 at 10:19
    
many thanks I did it, just need to install before: apt-get install dpkg-dev apt-get install dchroot devscripts apt-get install fakeroot – Sérgio Jan 14 '15 at 18:28
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You need sudo apt-get install devscripts to get the debuild command. – benjaoming Apr 8 '15 at 10:28
    
debuild doesn't create a delta source package while dpkg-buildpackage does... – Daniel Alder Dec 1 '15 at 11:30
    
bzr branch lp:ubuntu/xenial/lightdm bzr: ERROR: Not a branch: "bzr+ssh://bazaar.launchpad.net/+branch/ubuntu/xenial/lightd‌​m/". bzr branch lp:ubuntu/lightdm bzr: ERROR: Not a branch: "bzr+ssh://bazaar.launchpad.net/+branch/ubuntu/lightdm/". Ubuntu packaging guide, specifically 4.2. Getting the source says: bzr branch ubuntu:lightdm lightdm.quickswitch bzr: ERROR: Not a branch: "bzr+ssh://bazaar.launchpad.net/+branch/ubuntu/lightdm/". What a mess. :-( – Stéphane Gourichon Aug 15 '16 at 16:56

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