Starting point

Tarball with a simple app
The app has a Makefile with an install target
The target honours the standard DESTDIR variable
Sane Debian environment (GPG key, DEBEMAIL and DEBFULLNAME)
Appropriate packages installed (devscripts, build-essential, patch{,utils})

Using `dh_make`

Rename the directory to package-name-version
Execute dh_make inside the directory
Basically, two options: "single binary" and "cdbs"
The "single binary" is the "classic"
CDBS is a newer, more "magical" system

Single binary

First, have a look at the generated files
debian/control and debian/rules are especially important
Also note the *.ex example files
Try debuild and see what happens
cp: cannot create regular file ...
"Default directories" and debian/dirs
Change the PREFIX so it installs in /usr

CDBS

First, have a look at the generated files
Especially the wildly different debian/rules
Try debuild and see what happens
DEB_MAKE_INSTALL_TARGET unset, skipping [...yadda yadda...]
Set the DEB_MAKE_INSTALL_TARGET to install
cp superecho /usr/local/bin/superecho. WTF?
Two problems: DESTDIR and PREFIX
DEB_MAKE_INSTALL_TARGET := install PREFIX=/usr DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/superecho
It's actually easier when using the autohell^Wautotools suite, DEB_MAKE_INSTALL_TARGET is correctly set

Same results, different `debian/rules`

Both packages are the same (essentially)
Traditional debian/rules has all the details
More complex, but somehow more straightforward
CDBS's debian/rules much shorter and readable...
...if you know CDBS (check the documentation)

Patching upstream

Sometimes we have to change the upstream sources
Making changes outside the debian/ is discouraged
Patches are usually easier to maintain
We'll see simple-patchsys, others available
Basically, just put your patches in debian/patches...
...and include /usr/share/cdbs/1/rules/simple-patchsys.mk (assuming CDBS)

Example patch

This should be saved as debian/patches/001-debian_mark.patch (for example).

--- superecho.orig      2008-08-05 13:53:56.000000000 +0200
+++ superecho   2008-08-05 13:53:57.000000000 +0200
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh

 VERSION=1.0
-echo "I'm super echo v$VERSION!!!111oneone"
+echo "I'm super echo v$VERSION (Debian package)!!!111oneone"
 echo "$@"

Links

Takk!

Takk. Spørsmål?

Starting point

Using dh_make

Single binary

CDBS

Same results, different debian/rules

Patching upstream

Example patch

Links

Takk!

Picture credits

Using `dh_make`

Same results, different `debian/rules`